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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
July 11, 2014 Camila Gallardo
cgallardo@nclr.org
(305) 215-4259
NCLR Press Office in Los Angeles
(213) 743-6462 (July 18-22 only)
From discussions on Common Core to youth leadership training, Conference events focus on improving the state of education for America’s Latinos
LOS ANGELES—NCLR (National Council of La Raza) will host its 2014 Annual Conference from July 19 through July 22 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where improving the state of Latino education will be a central topic of discussion. California is home to the nation’s largest Latino population, and young Hispanics represent the majority of students enrolled in the state’s public schools. As the Latino demographic has continued to grow throughout the country, it has become even more critical to ensure that students are receiving a high-quality education, training and skills that will help them move on to higher education and a career.
Currently, only 73% of Latino students graduate from high school on time with a traditional diploma, compared to 86% and 88% of their White and Asian peers, respectively. This low graduation rate undercuts the increasing demand in the United States for highly educated and trained individuals who can compete in today’s global economy. The economic benefits of educational achievement for Latino children are clear—preparing Latino students today will translate into a better-prepared workforce that can handle the increasingly demanding and competitive job market of tomorrow. Closing the performance gap for Latino students’ stands to increase the nation’s GDP by billions of dollars.
The 2014 NCLR Annual Conference has exciting and informative education-related events occurring throughout, including but not limited to hands-on-educator focused trainings, discussions on the implementation and benefits of Common Core State Standards (CCSS), discussions of juvenile justice and the education system, a community service event that involves the beautification and technology retrofitting of local schools, and much, much more. Below are highlights of some of those key events:
STEM Town Hall
Aprender Es Triunfar: “Underwater Robots” in the Community, Classroom, and Movies
When: July 19, 2014, 3:00–4:30 p.m.
The underrepresentation of Latino students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers is in large part due to a lack of access to opportunities that can foster access to a profession. The bad news is that Latinos represent just 7% of the STEM workforce. The good news is that this number can increase dramatically because Latinos now compose 22% of the K–12 student population. However, this will happen only if schools, parents, businesses, and communities step up and support Latino students in embracing STEM education. In this town hall, join the discussion on why engaging more Latinos in STEM is pivotal to our national prosperity and what methods are working across the country.
Moderator
José Díaz-Balart, News Anchor, Telemundo
Panelists
Noramay Cadena, Founder and Executive Director, Latinas in STEM
Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Denise Devora, PhD, Associate Program Officer, STEM, Educate Texas
Kris Gutiérrez, PhD, Professor, Curriculum & Instruction—Literacy (C&I); Educational Psychology & Learning Sciences (EPSY); University of Colorado Boulder
Angelica Hernandez, STEM college graduate and DREAMer
Mary Mazzio, Director and Writer, Underwater Dreams
Early Childhood Education Town Hall
Closing the Word Gap: Increasing Vocabulary among Young Latino Children
When: July 21, 2014, 3:00–4:30 p.m.
By age four, children in poor and immigrant families have been exposed to far fewer words than children in professional and working-class households. This lack of early experience with language makes it more likely that these children will begin school at a disadvantage, making them struggle to keep up for the rest of their academic careers. Daily activities as simple as reading a story before bedtime will expand a child’s vocabulary, and this town hall will explore many other methods. Research experts, business leaders, elected officials, and community advocates will discuss successful efforts around the country, like Univision’s Pequeños y Valiosos, that support Latino parents’ efforts to eliminate the word gap and better prepare their children for school.
Moderator
Enrique Acevedo, Anchor, Noticiero Univision
Panelists
Sylvia Acevedo, Chair, Early Learning Subcommittee, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics; Co-Founder and CEO, CommuniCard, LLC; Cofounder and President, Advancing America, LLC
Eugene Garcia, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Department of Psychology, Temple University
Andrea Riquetti, Director, Providence Talks, Mayor’s Office, City of Providence, RI
Renata Soto, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Conexión Américas; Member, NCLR Board of Directors
Workshop
Step Up to College, Step Into a Career: NCLR’s Campaign for the Effective Implementation of the Common Core State Standards
When: Tuesday, July 22, 10:30 a.m.–Noon
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are changing the landscape of education by setting clear and consistent academic expectations for students at each grade level. By raising expectations for all students, the CCSS will level the playing field of education, improving learning outcomes for grades K–12 and increasing access to higher education without the need for remedial education. To ensure successful implementation of the CCSS, NCLR has embarked on a state-based campaign in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, and New York.
Presenters
Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Education Director, Latino Policy Forum
Vanessa Ramos, Senior Director of Policy, Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, Inc.
Nolan V. Rollins, President and CEO, Los Angeles Urban League
Workshop
Líderes Summit Special Discussion: Juvenile Justice Reform
Tuesday, July 22, 10:30 a.m.–Noon
Too many Latino and Latina youth are involved in the criminal justice system. This discussion will highlight structural and legal reasons for this disparity in sentencing, while also providing positive examples of how the Los Angeles Independent School District has responded to the efforts of local student advocates to change harmful policies such as “willful defiance.” In addition, this discussion will share positive examples of young people who have changed their lives for the better after being involved in the criminal justice system and the work that many schools are doing to make their schools more positive, nurturing, and supportive to all students.
Opening Remarks
Paul Saldaña, NCLR Board of Directors
Presenter
Mike de la Rocha, musician, writer, and speaker in the fields of criminal justice, spirituality, and self-development
For more information about NCLR’s education-focused events at the 2014 NCLR Annual Conference, please contact Camila Gallardo at cgallardo@nclr.org or (305) 215-4259.
Reporters with current press credentials can register to attend for free at http://nclr.emsreg.com/NCLR14/public/splash.aspx.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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