FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
October 2, 2013 Feliza Ortiz-Licon
(213) 787-9603; flicon@nclr.org
Kathy Mimberg
(202) 776-1714; kmimberg@nclr.org
National Council of La Raza program aims to strengthen advocacy skills and community values
LOS ANGELES—On October 7–8, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) will gather Latino youth in Los Angeles from cities across the nation including Los Angeles, Oakland, Calif.; San Diego, Calif.; Houston, Tex.; Austin, Tex.; Lorain, Ohio; Chicago, Ill.; and Kansas City, Mo., to participate in an intensive forum focused on advocacy and leadership entitled “National CASA Institute: Fostering Leadership to Transform Latino Communities.” Representing 12 community-based organizations that belong to NCLR’s vast Affiliate Network, youth attendees will explore issues such as cultural identity, leadership development, community awareness, advocacy and service at the Millenium Biltmore Hotel.
Dozens of youth are expected to participate in forum activities, such as an interactive workshop called “LA Starts Here,” conducted in partnership with La Plaza de Cultura y Artes and focused on teaching students about the events that shaped the Los Angeles and how this process impacted the Latino American identity.
The two-day event is part of NCLR’s Cultura, Aprendizaje, Servicio, Accíon (CASA) program, which was established in 2009 with the generous support of State Farm. NCLR’s CASA project is the only known service-learning model to incorporate a culturally relevant and linguistically responsive perspective to their Latino-focused projects. The CASA service-learning model recognizes the importance of grounding service and learning opportunities in students’ backgrounds, culture and values. This one-year program empowers youth to be agents of change, advocate for themselves and their communities, gain a deeper sense of cultural awareness and develop into confident leaders.
The participants come from the following community organizations: Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, Monsenor Oscar Romero Charter School and Youth Policy Institute in Los Angeles, Calif.; Lighthouse Community Charter School in Oakland, Calif.; MAAC Community Charter School in Chula Vista, Calif.; Bert Corona Charter School in Pacoima, Calif.; Alta Vista Middle School in Kansas City, Mo.; Sanchez Charter Middle School and Sanchez Charter High School in Houston, Tex.; East Austin College Prep Academy in Austin, Tex.; Instituto del Progreso Latino in Chicago, Ill.; and El Centro de Servicios Sociales, Inc., in Lorain, Ohio.
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHAT: “National CASA Institute: Fostering Leadership to Transform Latino Communities”
WHO: Feliza Ortiz-Licon, Ed.D., Director of Education, California and Far West Regions, NCLR
Twelve community-based organizations from California, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Texas (listed above)
WHEN: Monday, October 7, 2013, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013, 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
506 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071
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 along on Facebook and Twitter.
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