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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Camila Gallardo
(305) 215-4259
cgallardo@nclr.org
Site to provide support and tools to education-based nonprofits working with Hispanic students
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) formally launched its “Learning from Leaders” website, a portal designed to provide important tools and information to nonprofits working to improve the educational experience of and advance educational attainment for Latino students. Latino students make up 22 percent of the nation’s pre-K–12 students; in states like California, they represent nearly one-half of all students enrolled in public education. Hispanics have historically faced slow progress in educational attainment, ranking last in the nation when compared to other ethnic groups. Less than one-half of Latino students earn their high school diplomas on time and only 13 percent go on to earn bachelor’s degrees.
Some of the perceived obstacles to long-term success in the education system have included a lack of cultural competence, language barriers, and a lack of family engagement. “Learning from Leaders” will offer groups and individuals the ability to participate in a series of free webinars where participants will hear from and interact with experts in the field of education. Upcoming webinars include: “Parents Matter: Engaging Parents in Culturally Competent Ways to Improve Academic Success,” which will be held on Wednesday, December 18, 2013, at 1:00 p.m.; “Teaching Strategies for English Language Learners Success in Mathematics,” scheduled for January 15, 2014, at 1:00 p.m.; “Cultura, Aprendizaje, Servicio y Accion (CASA): Developing Culturally Aware Youth Leaders” will take place on February 19, 2014, at 1:00 p.m.; and on March 19, 2014, at 1:00 p.m., “Common Core Standards Implementation,” will be the subject of the interactive webinar presentation. In addition to the free webinar series, the website provides a wealth of research, tools and presentations, available to nonprofits, educators, parents and the general public, meant to help bolster Latino educational performance.
“We are excited to formally launch our ‘Learning from Leaders’ site today; we believe the tools contained within the portal will help pave the way to reducing educational disparities between Latino students and their non-Hispanic school counterparts,” said Peggy McLeod, Ed.D., Deputy Vice President, Education and Workforce Development, NCLR. “Through promoting best practices and ensuring we are providing a critical window to policymakers about the Latino educational experience, we hope to increase Latino educational success and attainment,” concluded McLeod.
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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