News (Noticias) for Education

Dr. Elsa A. Murano was formally installed as the 23rd president of Texas A&M University during ceremonies held today in conjunction with the university’s annual academic convocation.

Dr. Murano is the first woman and first Hispanic-American president in the 132-year history of Texas’ first public institution of higher learning.

Texas A&M University System Board of Regents Chairman Bill Jones and Chancellor Michael D. McKinney presided at the formal installation in Rudder Auditorium.

Following her installation, President Murano outlined her vision for the university and its growing number of students and faculty, along with providing an update on Vision 2020, Texas A&M’s long-range road map for becoming one of the nation’s top public universities by the year 2020 – or, as President Murano proposed in her remarks, the best public university in the nation.

For a copy of Murano’s speech go to:
www.tamu.edu/president/documents/speeches/academicConvocation2008.html

For additional photos of the event, go to:

dmc-news.tamu.edu/templates/?a=6706&z=37 “

It is not often middle school students can hear directly from a world leader. On Sept. 25, the students at Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering ( CSS ) got their chance when Leonel Fernández, president of the Dominican Republic, came to visit.

President Fernández spoke to a packed auditorium of about 250 students, parents and faculty, discussing politics and answering such questions as: What is the most difficult thing about being president? “Managing conflicts,” he replied. What would he be if he weren’t president? A writer, he said.

Fernández was in New York City for the opening of the U.N. General Assembly and was also a featured speaker at Columbia’s annual World Leaders Forum. His trip to CSS stemmed from a key component of his presidential agenda: investing in the Dominican Republic’s youth and education.

“One of our priorities to promote economic and social development has to do with human capital, so that’s education,” said Fernández in an interview. “But we have to look at new models to train our young students how to think, how to solve problems, how to have a modern view, how to think out of the box…CSS is a great model project that we can replicate.”

To that end, Fernández also went to Teachers College for a meeting with Provost Thomas James; Portia Williams, director of international affairs; and Deanna Kuhn, a professor of psychology and education. Fernández plans to modernize and improve the Dominican Republic’s education system, and wants Teachers College to serve as an advisor in that effort.

Later that evening, at a World Leaders Forum talk in Low Library, Fernández said that Teachers College will put together a pilot project—modeled after CSS—in the Dominican Republic. “We need to bring in the most advanced methodologies to overhaul our education system,” he said.

CSS opened last fall with its first class of sixth-graders. Run by the New York City Department of Education in partnership with Columbia and the community, the school is adding an additional grade every year, and ultimately will enroll 650 students from grades six through 12. The middle school—grades six through eight—will serve high performing local students from northern Manhattan, and its students will be primarily Hispanics and African Americans, while the high school will be open to students city-wide.

The partnership with Columbia has mutual benefits. It provides Columbia undergraduate and graduate students teaching experience at the school, where they work with the middle school students in after-school programs and the Harlem Robotics League, in which students compete to design robots. Meanwhile, the CSS students get access to University facilities and resources. The school, which is located on West 123rd Street and Morningside Avenue, will eventually have its permanent home in Manhattanville as part of the University’s long-term expansion.

Jose Maldonado-Rivera, principal at CSS and himself a Teachers College alumnus, said Fernández’s visit “is a unique opportunity for my Hispanic students to see [how] somebody from the barrio…through hard work and dedication, was able to drive himself to the top, to the pinnacle of political power in the Dominican Republic and become president.”

The lesson was not lost on Christian Pimentel, a Dominican-born seventh-grader. Being able to meet the president of his country was a “true inspiration,” he said. Pimentel is concerned that Dominican voices are being heard. “Latinos are just as important as everyone else,” he said. “We want to make sure everyone knows that…we have a say in this world.”

Some students got to have their say. In preparation for the visit, students were asked to write a letter addressing a world leader on a global issue, and several read theirs aloud to Fernández; topics included the U.S. financial crisis, nuclear weapons, oil dependency, climate change, poverty, health care and women’s rights.

For one student, sixth-grader Annette Anderson, the experience made her proud. “A lot of other schools locally never had an opportunity like this,” said Anderson, 11. “This really helps us and builds us up as a community and as a school.”
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Santa Ana College President, Dr. Erlinda Martinez, was selected as one of the “Top 25 Latinos in Education” according to Latino Leaders magazine, a national magazine that targets Latino readership. The list, which appears in the magazine’s most recent issue (September/October), includes leaders throughout the country who hold influential positions in institutions of higher education. The “Top 25” list is the inaugural list of its kind and
Dr. Martinez is the only Orange County college president selected.

“It is such a distinguished and exclusive honor for one of our institutional leaders to be recognized on such a platform as the Latino Leaders magazine,” said Dr. Edward Hernandez, Jr., Rancho Santiago Community College District chancellor. “We are very proud of Dr. Martinez’ recognition and for her extensive contributions to Santa Ana College.”

About Santa Ana College
Part of Rancho Santiago Community College District, Santa Ana College serves nearly 40,000 credit and non-credit students each semester and offers 136 certificate and associate degree programs. The mission of the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) is to respond to the educational needs of an ever-changing community and to provide programs and services that reflect academic excellence. Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College are public community colleges of RSCCD, which serve the residents of Anaheim Hills, East Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin and Villa Park. Both colleges provide education for academic transfer and careers, courses for personal and professional development, customized training for business and industry, and programs to train nurses, firefighters and law enforcement personnel.”

The community and family impact of immigration raids, the history of Latinos in Iowa, cultural competence, civic engagement, public health issues, education and Latino businesses will be among the topics covered at the conference Strengthening and Valuing Latino Communities in Iowa, Oct. 10-11 at Grand View College in Des Moines.

The conference, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, is themed “Nuestro Tapiz de Colores: Weaving the Threads of Our Past, Present and Future.” It is coordinated by a statewide planning committee and the University of Iowa School of Social Work with the support of this year’s host, Grand View College.

The Strengthening and Valuing Latino Communities in Iowa conference was founded in 1998 to explore the changing demographics and dynamics of Latino communities in Iowa and strengthen the responsiveness of policy makers, business leaders and community-based organizations. It has become a cherished gathering of Latinos and non-Latinos as a place to emphasize culture as a strength and provide networking opportunities for Latino leaders who live and work in Iowa.

This year’s conference features four major components:

– Friday, Oct. 10, Latino Youth Leadership Summit for junior and senior high students;

– Friday, Oct. 10, pre-conference Professional Development Training Institute geared to the strengthening of professionals in education, social services, community development and advocacy;

– Friday, Oct. 10, 5-7 p.m., opening reception for an Iowa Latina Art Exhibit, “Mujeres de Armas Llevar: Women Raising Arms,” at the Grand View College Art Gallery; and

–Saturday, Oct. 11, the main conference featuring workshops and two keynote speakers: Laura I. Rendón, professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University’s College of Human Sciences; and Francisco Guajardo, executive director of the Llano Grande Center, a nonprofit organization in Texas that works to revitalize communities through youth by creating access to higher education, engaging students in community change, and developing leadership that respects local history and culture.

Arts and culture are a significant component of the Latino conference. This year artists will join the conference from California, Texas, Minnesota and Iowa.

For more information or to register, contact the UI School of Social Work at 319-335-1273 or latino-conference@uiowa.edu or visit www.iowalatinoconference.org.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACTS: Kate Kemp, UI School of Social Work, 319-335-1254, kate-kemp@uiowa.edu; Alex Piedras, Grand View College, 515-263-6017, apiedras@gvc.edu; Nicole Riehl, UI News Services, 319-384-0070 ( office ), 319-430-6576 ( cell ),, nicole-riehl@uiowa.edu
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Today the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) announced the recipients of the John S. Martinez Scholarship Fund and will present them $1,500 scholarships during a press conference at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The scholarship recipients are in DC participating in a legislative hearing during the 4th Annual NALEO National Summit on the State of Latino Education & Legislative Hearing on Pre-K and Early Grades. “We are proud of our scholarship recipients,” said NHCSL President Joseph Miro (DE). “Through our partnership with Comcast and these scholarships we can provide young and talented Hispanic students the opportunity to attend college and learn about public service at an early age.”

NHCSL’s scholarship fund was created to develop Hispanic leaders through exposure and learning opportunities within the public service arena. The scholarships are funded from a $150,000 grant to NHCSL from the Comcast Foundation; the grant will continue to be applied over the next year in support of the NHCSL scholarship program.

With state legislators in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, and Maryland, this program offers guidance and financial support to 12 Hispanic high school students selected by the NHCSL, Hispanic state legislators and educational institutions. Each student will receive his or her $1,500 scholarship after graduating from high school with a GPA of 3.0 or better.

The scholarship recipients for the second year of the program include: Isaiah Fransua, Alexandria Salazar and Yadira Solis from Colorado; Rebecca Espinosa, Emilio Lopez and Glysel M. Rivera from Florida; Maritza Gomez, Brenda Ortega and Omar A. Torres from Illinois; Barbara Hendrick, Ruben Antonio Muñoz Ochoa and Mariana Olaizola from Maryland.

“This grant provides Latino students a unique opportunity to gain leadership skills and learn about the public and private sectors,” said Susan Gonzales, Vice President for the Comcast Foundation. “We are proud to partner with programs such as the NHCSL John S. Martinez Scholarship Fund to significantly impact the development of our future leaders.”

The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) is a nonpartisan organization representing the interests of Hispanic state legislators from all states, commonwealths, and territories of the United States. NHCSL is a catalyst for joint action on issues of common concern to all segments of the Hispanic community. For more information, visit www.nhcsl.org. “

Hispanic Heritage Month got off to an especially hospitable and personal start in Aggieland Thursday evening when two longtime Hispanic professor/administrators opened their homes to a host of students—perpetuating a tradition they began four years ago. They now have hopes of expanding the number of participating students and faculty.

Dr. Luis Cifuentes and Dr. Victor Arizpe and their wives, who live next door to one another, welcomed into their homes a host of Aggies—mostly but not all Hispanics—as part of a program known as “Mi Casa Es Su Casa”—translated “my home is your house.”

“Mi Casa Es Su Casa,” part of the Memorial Student Center Committee for the Awareness of Mexican-American Culture ( CAMAC ) at Texas A&M, is primarily intended to develop a support system for freshmen and transfer students, noted Liliana Garcia, the student who chairs MSC-CAMAC this year.

“Mi Casa Es Su Casa” has been kicked off each year with patio dinners at the adjacent homes of Dr. Arizpe, professor of Hispanic studies; his wife, Norma Arizpe, a senior lecturer in Hispanic studies; Dr. Cifuentes, professor of oceanography and interim vice provost, and wife, Dr. Lauren Cifuentes, associate professor of educational psychology.

Other Texas A&M Hispanic faculty members have joined in by hosting every-other-month sessions for smaller student groups throughout the school year.

The faculty members and CAMAC leaders say they hope to expand the program to include even more faculty and more students.

“This program is in a sense having a home away from home for these students, particularly those entering as freshmen or as transfer students,” Cifuentes said, adding that it gives them “a welcoming environment.”

Arizpe agreed, saying “As members of the Mexican American / U.S. Latino Faculty Association ( MALFA ), we have enjoyed coming together to create a welcoming and supportive environment for Hispanic students by bringing them into our homes. One of our primary goals is to let students know that we care for their success at Texas A&M University and that we are here to help.”

Daniel Hernandez, MALFA facilitator this year, joined in the welcoming program and cited its benefits. “The initiative is an excellent opportunity to create significant and value added relationships between students and faculty that will enrich the A&M experience for all concerned. Students in particular will learn the benefits of building relationships that willenhance them academically, socially and professionally,” he noted.

Cifuentes and Arizpe emphasized that the core of the “Mi Casa Es Su Casa” program is the cadre of other volunteer faculty members who take up the hosting and related work after the fall kick-off session.

“Mi Casa Es Su Casa” is receiving funding assistance this year from the Texas A&M Office of Admissions & Records as part of its retention program designed to keep students in school and on track to graduate, Garcia said.
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hree programs at institutions of higher education— in California, Arizona, and Texas—have been selected as “Examples of Excelencia” (examples of excellence) in a national initiative to identify and honor programs and departments boosting Latino college enrollment, performance and graduation.

The winning programs will be announced tonight in Houston by Excelencia in Education, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that administers the initiative and works to accelerate higher educational success for Latino students. Sallie Mae is a signature sponsor of this year’s Examples of Excelencia program.

The 2008 Examples of Excelencia are:

• The Bilingual Nursing Fellows Program at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Ariz.;
• The Bachelor of Architecture Program at Woodbury University in Burbank, Calif.; and
• The Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate School Internship Program in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas.

“These programs are true examples of excellence and will provide a model for others to follow,” said Sarita Brown, president and founder of Excelencia in Education. “They equip students with the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly demanding workplace and offer institutions and policymakers powerful ideas and strategies to tap this generation of Latino college-going students.”

Hispanic Americans are still less likely to attend college than their white or black counterparts. U.S. Department of Education statistics show that Hispanics are one-third as likely as whites and about half as likely as blacks to earn a bachelor’s degree.

A new study from Sallie Mae and Gallup shows that Hispanic college students and parents believe in the value of a higher education. For example, 86 percent of Hispanic students strongly believe that college is an investment in their future, and 54 percent of parents strongly agreed with the same statement. However, many Hispanic families are not adequately planning for college prior to the end of high school. More than two-thirds of Hispanic parents did not receive any financial aid while their child was in K-12 and more than half (56 percent) of the young adults who were not attending college indicated that they had not received any financial aid information in K-12, according to a report from the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute and The Sallie Mae Fund.

Examples of Excelencia is one part of the overall effort by Excelencia in Education and other groups to support and engage campus leaders and policymakers in accelerating higher educational success of the U.S. diverse Latino populations and thus grow this country’s human capital.

“These programs have worked diligently to create strategies to improve higher educational achievement for Latino students,” said Henry Cisneros, executive chairman of CityView and an Excelencia honorary board member. “It is particularly important to identify and expand such programs as the Latino proportion of the U.S. population grows. Today’s Latino college students will be America’s future workforce and leadership.”

At the associate level, the Bilingual Nursing Fellows Program (BNFP) at South Mountain Community College recognized the nationwide need for bilingual nurses and developed an innovative curriculum and system of support services to guide students through the nursing program with the ability to practice their profession in English and Spanish. BNFP uses a cohort model for its classes, closely monitors student progress, and coaches students in areas that need improvement. Latinos comprise 97 percent of the participating students and 90 percent of graduates work in hospitals whose patients are majority Latino.

At the baccalaureate level, Bachelor of Architecture Program at Woodbury University provides a global academic experience for its students, more than 40 percent of whom are Latino. By integrating international study programs in Europe, Asia and Latin America, one of the program’s main focuses is embracing the cultural and academic diversity of its students. First-year retention rates for Latinos in the program surpass the university average by almost 5 percent, and 90 percent of Latino students graduate within five years.

The Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate School Internship Program at The University of Texas at Austin offers undergraduate students a unique internship experience that encourages graduate study and career development that complement their personal passions and commitments to community. The program aims to increase diversity in graduate education by bringing underrepresented minorities and first-generation college students into the graduate school pipeline. Since 2003, the program has seen a dramatic increase in interns. Latino students make up the largest group of interns in the program, more than half of whom subsequently enroll in graduate school.

“Sallie Mae congratulates these outstanding institutions for their leadership in developing innovative programs that engage the talents of this country’s fastest-growing population group,” said Maria Frias, senior vice president of Sallie Mae’s south region. “Through sponsorship of this Excelencia in Education initiative and other programs, Sallie Mae is committed to ensuring Latino students can achieve their dreams of a higher education.”

Sallie Mae’s philanthropic arm, The Sallie Mae Fund, sponsors the “First in My Family Scholarship Program” in partnership with the Hispanic College Fund. Last school year, through scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000, the program helped more than 150 Hispanic-American students—the first in their families to attend college—continue their education.

This fall, Excelencia in Education will release the 2008 edition of What Works for Latino Students: Examples of Excelencia Compendium. The publication will describe in detail how the 2008 recognized programs achieve positive results and will suggest ways their strategies may be adapted for use in other communities. For more information, please visit, www.EdExcelencia.org.

SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation’s leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages nearly $172 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages more than $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America with 9 million members and $450 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

Excelencia in Education aims to accelerate higher education success for Latino students by providing data-driven analysis of the educational status of Latino students, and by promoting education policies and institutional practices that support their academic achievement. A 501(c)(3) organization, Excelencia links policy, practice and research to inform and compel a growing network of results-oriented educators, community-based professionals and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s need for a highly educated workforce.

Sallie Mae
Patricia Nash Christel, +1-703-984-5382
patricia.christel@salliemae.com

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Centro Latino for Literacy will host its second annual Manos Amigas/Helping Hands Celebration–an event that brings together community leaders, advocates, funders and literacy students–to honor newly literate Latino adults and those who help them accomplish this goal on September 25 at 6:30 p.m.

This year’s inaugural Leadership Honoree will be Sunne Wright McPeak, President and CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund, and the Keynote Speaker will be Franklin D. Gilliam Jr., Dean of the UCLA School of Public Affairs. Nancy Agosto, news anchor for TV Azteca, will serve as the celebration’s Master of Ceremonies.

WHAT: Manos Amigas/Helping Hands Celebration

WHEN: Thursday, September 25 at 6:30 p.m. Sponsor’s Cocktail Reception at 6 p.m.

WHERE: 1709 West 8th Street, Suite A, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Tickets for the Manos Amigas/Helping Hands Celebration are still available. Members of the media interested in attending should contact Kathrin at (213) 483-7753.

Centro Latino for Literacy would like to thank all of its sponsors for their support, including Hoy, Bank of America, First Credit Bank and Union Bank.

About Centro Latino for Literacy
Founded in 1991, Centro Latino for Literacy was formed to address the pressing need for basic literacy instruction among Latino immigrants and it set out to bridge the chasm separating these non-literate immigrants from learning English and other vital skills by teaching them first to read and write in Spanish. Centro Latino for Literacy has taught basic literacy skills to more than 2,500 non-literate Latino youth and adults, and functional skills–such as basic math, grammar, financial literacy, health literacy and computer skills–to an additional 5,000 low-income Latinos. For more information on Centro Latino for Literacy, call (213) 483-7753 or visit us online at www.centrolatinoliteracy.org. “