ENLACE – Solutions To Latino Dropout Epidemic.

Chicago’s burgeoning Latino community will hosted some 200 students and educators from around the country who are coming together to share promising practices that result in more Hispanic graduates from high school and college.

The visitors were represented 13 partnerships nationwide that are working to improve educational opportunities for Latinos, who have among the highest school dropout rates in the United States. Based in Illinois and six other states with high Latino populations, the partnerships of universities, schools and community organizations are part of the ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education (ENLACE) initiative. Launched by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the $28 million initiative is one of the single largest philanthropic efforts to target Latino education.

“Latinos are the nation’s fastest-growing community, and addressing their educational needs is vital to the national interest,” said Miguel Satut, program director at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “By the year 2025, the United States will have the second largest Latino population in the world.”

Currently, however, Latino students have low rates of graduating from high school and attending college. Only 63 percent of Latinos ages 25-29 completed high school, according to the U.S. Department of Education. By comparison, 87 percent of African-Americans and 94 percent of Whites completed high school.

In the ENLACE initiative, 13 partnerships are focusing community-wide attention and resources on the issue of Latino education. The name ENLACE is derived from the Spanish word meaning “link” or “weave.” Led by higher education institutions such as Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, ENLACE partnership activities in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, New York and Texas are weaving a blanket of support for students and linking them with
resources.

The ENLACE networking conference begins on Wednesday, April 10, at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Chicago. During the three days, students and educators will exchange promising ideas, visit local schools and community organizations, attend a community reception at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum, and discuss mutual challenges during a forum on Latino education policy on Friday, April 12th.

In Chicago schools, Latino student enrollment is growing rapidly – in fact, it has increased from 16 to 34 percent in the past five years. Since 1990, the Hispanic population living in surrounding Cook County has increased 34 percent. More than 1 million Latinos live in the four-county area, which is 17 percent Hispanic.

The Chicago gathering represents the first time that the 13 sites have come together to formally share lessons with each other. Key activities focus on increasing student support at critical transition points such as the 9th grade and first year of college when Latino students face challenges that can lead to failure. The sites are beginning the second year of a four-year implementation phase that has received primary funding from the Kellogg Foundation and Houston Endowment, Inc.

“ENLACE is not only about linking students with support, but it also is about linking the initiative’s lessons to other communities that are struggling with how to help more Latinos succeed,” said Satut. “Closing the achievement gap is a critical issue in many states.”

The ENLACE networking conference will feature a series of speakers who, as active and influential Latinos, are role models to students striving for success.

Dr. Eloy Rodriguez, a professor of environmental studies at Cornell University in New York, will deliver the opening keynote address focusing on his personal educational journey and role models which influenced his path to success. Selected as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business Magazine, Rodriguez is believed to be the first U.S.-born Latino to hold an endowed position in the sciences at an American university.

Other featured speakers include Sarita Brown, president of the Washington D.C.-based Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute, and Carlos Gutierrez, the Cuban-born CEO of the Kellogg Company in Battle Creek, Michigan.

While the conference will focus on national issues that hinder Latino educational success, the gathering also represents an opportunity to showcase Chicago-based efforts on behalf of students that are part of the Chicago ENLACE Partnership. This partnership is spearheaded by Northeastern Illinois University, the only four-year Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in the Midwest, and with a heritage of strongly supporting collaborative and cooperative initiatives with diverse
sectors.

“Northeastern Illinois University has been engaged in many forms of collaborative endeavors that have in common a clear commitment to increasing opportunities for learning and success in our society,” said Dr. Salme H. Steinberg, president of the University. ” ENLACE has afforded us the opportunity to strengthen that commitment.”

According to Suleyma Perez, project coordinator for the Chicago ENLACE Partnership, “Thanks to Northeastern’s dedication and leadership, we are working with a network of elementary, middle and high schools, community colleges, and community organizations to provide Latino students with the support and encouragement they need to advance in school.”

During field trips scheduled for Thursday, April 11th, attendees will see strategies implemented at institutions and organizations such as Rodolfo Lozano Bilingual and International Center, Roberto Clemente High School, St. Augustine College, Chicago Teachers’ Center (CTC) and El Valor.

For more information about ENLACE, please visit http://www.wkkf.org.