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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Luis Barrera
(213) 489-3428
lbarrera@nclr.org
ALTAMED HEALTH SERVICES CORPORATION HONORS NCLR ESCALERA PROGRAM GRADUATES
Los Angeles—With its partner AltaMed Health Services Corporation, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) is pleased to honor the graduating class of the 2011 NCLR Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success. Escalera Program graduates will be recognized on Wednesday, June 15 at 6:00 p.m. PDT. Seventy-three students from East Los Angeles have successfully earned their high school diplomas and completed the Escalera Program.
In 2001, with support from PepsiCo Foundation and PepsiCo Inc., the NCLR Escalera Program was created as a national after-school program to promote economic mobility for Latino youth. The program aims to increase educational achievement and career planning by providing opportunities for students to access resources and achieve educational goals. Students are eligible to enroll in the Escalera Program during the second semester of their junior year and must work toward a high school diploma or GED, complete a minimum of 80 hours of internship or other work experience, and start the enrollment process for a postsecondary institution. All 73 Escalera Program graduates at AltaMed have been accepted to college and have received a combined $83,300 in scholarships.
The AltaMed-NCLR Escalera Program partnership connects students with internships and mentorship opportunities each year through a network of 28 clinics throughout the Los Angeles area. Students are also directly linked to all of AltaMed’s health services, including mental health and teen pregnancy prevention programs. Through its family-centric model, AltaMed ensures that students and their families have access to services that support the students on their journey through high school.
“We are extremely proud of all the young people who will be moving on to the next stage in their education and wish them continued success throughout their college experience. We are equally proud of the AltaMed Escalera Program staff for their hard work and dedication and for this great accomplishment,” said Simon Lopez, NCLR Senior Director of Workforce and Leadership Development. “As the oldest and largest site of the Escalera Program, AltaMed continues to prove itself a powerful and effective resource for Latino youth and their families.”
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHO: Diana Hernandez, Escalera Program Coordinator, AltaMed Health Services Corporation
WHAT: Class of 2011 AltaMed Escalera Program graduation ceremony
WHEN: June 15, 2011, 6:00 p.m. PDT
WHERE: Luminarias Restaurant
3500 W Ramona Boulevard
Monterey Park, CA 91754
CONTACT: To interview an Escalera Program student, contact Luis Barrera at lbarrera@nclr.org.
For more information on the NCLR Escalera Program, please visit www.nclr.org/escalera.
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