Univision launches ¡Edúcate, Es el momento!

As part of Univision Communications’ comprehensive, multiplatform year round education efforts with its Es el momento (The Moment is Now) initiative, the leading media company serving Hispanic America today announced the launch of “¡Edúcate, Es el momento!” (Educate yourself…the moment is now!) – a seven-day effort to kick off October 16, 2011. To impact Hispanic educational attainment, an issue at the heart of the economic viability of the country, Univision’s “¡Edúcate, Es el momento!” will feature a first-of-its-kind town hall with key leaders, exclusive programming across Univision Networks’ signature shows, and will leverage digital platforms including social media. Furthermore, Univision Local Media TV and Radio stations around the country will broadcast special segments in their newscasts, host workshops and phone banks.

National leaders from across the country participating in Univision-hosted education events include U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan; U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis; Melinda Gates; Former HUD Secretary and Univision Board Member Henry Cisneros; Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush; New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Miami Dade College President Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón; and Chairman of the Board for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Raul Romero. Other leaders will join efforts to address national education issue.

Launched in February 2010 in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, educators and civic and community leaders from around the country, Es el momento is one element of Univision Communications’ deep relationship with the Hispanic community at large, and its commitment to education. Throughout the year, Es el momento hosts special programming and events that emphasize the five stages of education: pre-school, elementary, middle school, high school and college/continuing studies. Univision’s Education week reinforces and highlights the efforts in place with the Es el momento initiative.

“For Univision, job No. 1 is public service and ‘Es el momento’ builds on our 50-year legacy of serving the Hispanic community,” said Randy Falco, president and chief executive officer, Univision Communications Inc. “Since the launch in 2010 of this multi-platform, multi-year initiative we have dedicated significant resources to connecting parents, students and educators to the tools needed to succeed because we recognize the difference a diploma can make on a family’s life.”

“Education is one of the critical issues facing our nation and based on the demographic growth of Hispanics in the U.S. it is imperative that our community achieves its potential if we want our country to remain competitive in a global economy,” said Cesar Conde, president, Univision Networks. “The collaboration and focus of hundreds of private and public organizations and government entities around ‘Es el momento’ is helping us effectively reverse the under education trend in our community and we know that by increasing the attention and focus during these seven days we will further impact an issue affecting every individual in our country.”

Hispanics now represent the largest minority group in K-12 and are the fastest-growing segment of students; however college completion stands at just 19.2 percent – below the national average of 41.1 percent, according to a report by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center.

“Bill and I see education as our foundation’s highest priority in the United States, because we think it’s the best way to expand opportunity in this country,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “It is a crime to dash the dreams and waste the talent of even one Latino student. As a society, we need to set the expectation that all students will get a degree beyond high school with real value in the workplace.”

Kicking-off Univision’s education week, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the path to prosperity through education is particularly important to our American belief in equality – the notion that anyone, regardless of their background or who their parents are, can thrive through hard work. He added, “America’s future is linked to the Latino community’s future – Hispanics are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in our Nation’s schools. In celebrating Hispanic Educational Excellence Week with Univision, as part of their ongoing efforts, we will shine a spotlight on our country’s strength in its diversity. As our future takes shape, we must work to create pathways of opportunity through education for all our nation’s children, especially for our Latino boys and girls.”

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said, “Now truly is the moment for the Latino community to do all it can to focus on the importance of education. I commend Univision on their commitment to spreading the word about this issue and I am very pleased to help celebrate Hispanic Educational Excellence Week. Working together, we can ensure that all children are able to reach their potential and contribute to the future success of our nation.”

UNIVISION COVERAGE PLANS
Special nationwide programming across the Univision Network will include profiles on role models, interviews, expert panel conversations, and segments covering all of the local events taking place throughout the week. Themes include getting youth interested in science and math (STEM), the urgency of college degrees for Hispanics, parental involvement and policy change, navigating financial resources and college applications, among other critical topics.

Stories featured include everything from the story of a Mexican-American at MIT who is the first person in her family to go to college; a look at some Latino math and science prodigies; the story of an 18-year-old Stanford student who came to the U.S. 12 years ago as an undocumented immigrant and went from living in the streets to an Ivy League school; and celebrities talking about their commitment to education and experience as parents. In addition to special coverage on Univision’s evening, late evening and weekend national newscasts, “Noticiero Univision” and local newscast across the country, these stories and more will be featured on the following Univision programs:

o “Al Punto” (To the Point) – Sunday, October 16
o “República Deportiva” (Sports Republic) – Sunday, October 16
o “¡Mira Quién Baila!” (Look Who’s Dancing!) – Sunday, October 16
o “Sal y Pimienta” (Salt and Pepper) – Sunday, October 16
o “Don Francisco Presenta…” (Don Francisco Presents) – Monday, October 17 – Luis Fonsi
o “Aqui y Ahora” (Here and Now) – Tuesday, October 18
o “Sabado Gigante” (Giant Saturday) – Saturday, October 22
o “Despierta América” (Wake-Up America) – Monday-Friday, October 17-21
o “El Gordo y La Flaca” (The Scoop and The Skinny) – Monday-Friday, October 17-21 Elizabeth Gutierrez and Geraldine Bazan
o “Primer Impacto” (First Impact) – Monday-Friday, October 17-21
o “Noticiero Univision” (Univision News) – Monday-Friday, October 17-21 (at both 6:30 and 11:30 p.m.)
o Local newscasts – Monday-Friday, October 17-21 (at both 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.)
o “Protagonistas, El Reality” (Novela Stars, the Reality) – Esai Morales

Additionally, a town hall special will air on Saturday, October 22, featuring:

o Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
o Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis
o Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez
o Dr. Eduardo Padron, President of Miami Dade College
o Dr. Fernando Reimers, Harvard University

The town hall will also be streamed live online at http://www.eselmomento.com

Univision Network personalities will share their perspective as parents, students and immigrants to help serve as role models for the community. Barbara Bermudo, Felix de Bedout, Raul de Molina, Don Francisco, Lili Estefan, Satcha Pretto, Karla Martinez, Maria Elena Salinas and Pamela Silva Conde will be profiled in news segments sharing their experiences and providing advice to parents and students. The video testimonials from Univision personalities will be featured on the Es el momento site.

LOCAL EFFORTS

In addition to local reports, interactive coverage and community events, Univision’s local stations will host workshops addressing important issues and will provide tools and resources for communities in various markets, including Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. Twelve Univision affiliates will host phone banks to answer parent and student questions about how to finance a college education.

INTERACTIVE

Univision’s Es el momento comprehensive online and mobile website, www.eselmomento.com, serves as a hub for education-related news, tools and resources. The site will feature a dedicated section for “¡Edúcate, Es el momento!” education week with video from Univision shows and specials, and a new College Calculator presented in partnership with College Board that helps parents and students plan ahead and save for college. The site will also feature a calendar of events, workshop and phone bank information, custom education pieces from experts and bloggers, and more. Furthermore, Es el momento on Facebook and Twitter will serve as an added resource for communities across the country, in addition to education-related locations featured on Univision’s Foursquare page that provide resources in several cities.

To complement the call to action element of the weeklong activities, a special theme song titled “Educate, Es el momento,” written by musician-composer-singer Manuela Mejia will aim to inspire and empower students across the nation. An original Univision production, the “Educate, Es el momento” music video will premiere on the Univision Network on October 14. The song will also be featured in Univision’s education specials and town hall, and in future education projects.

Univision’s weeklong roadblock of activities will culminate with “La Feria, Es el momento” education fair in Los Angeles on October 22 at California State University, Dominguez Hills.