KMEX Univision 34 & TeleFutura KFTR 46 gear up for ‘Feria Deja Huella’.

KMEX Univision 34 and TeleFutura KFTR 46 gear up for the highly anticipated education fair, “Feria Deja Huella” (Leave Your Mark Fair) on Saturday, August 22, 2009, from noon to 5 p.m. at the California  State University, Dominguez Hills campus.  The event debuts as the first and only citywide Spanish-language education fair, with more than 60 non-profit organizations participating.  It is the city’s largest one-day education effort aimed at empowering Spanish speaking parents to take charge of their children’s educational careers.
 
“Through ‘Feria Deja Huella,’ Univision is proud to offer the Hispanic community in the Los Angeles area critical resources to help augment children’s education,” said Maelia Macin, vice president and general manager, Univision KMEX 34 and TeleFutura KFTR 46.
 
Organized for parents who only speak Spanish and have limited experience with the U.S. education system, the free event builds awareness of the many non-profit resources that are available to support parents and their child on their educational journey.  The Feria layout reinforces the U.S. educational system, starting with Pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle, high school and then college.  There are breakout areas for reading gardens, science activity areas, mentors and a visualization area for careers.  There will also be areas for immunizations, as well as vision and dental screenings.
 
“Education is the key to unlocking careers in the 21st century economy,” said David Rattray, Senior Vice President, Education & Workforce Development, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. “The L.A. Area Chamber applauds Univision and TeleFutura for helping to empower so many students and parents through Deja Huella Edúcate and its collaboration with the L.A. Area Chamber’s L.A. Cash for College Campaign, connecting students and families with financial aid.”
 
The event culminates an almost year-long social marketing, multi-media campaign “Deja Huella Edúcate” (Leave Your Mark.  Educate Yourself.), aimed at increasing the graduation rate among Hispanics.  Intended to inform and motivate Hispanic parents and students in the Los Angeles area, the program addresses the important education milestones, a parent’s impact on a child’s attitude towards school, and the early warning signs for dropout.  Daily messages in KMEX 34’s newscasts give parents relevant information on early childhood, elementary school, middle school, high school, and access to higher education.
 
“We know that cultural misperceptions about the U.S. education system and a lack of awareness among Spanish-speaking parents are real barriers to success. It’s not a lack of motivation,” said Sylvia Acevedo, founding chairwoman of the Feria, education leader and workforce strategist.  “Since the Feria and several companion programs have debuted in other markets such as Austin, we have seen a high proactive response from the community and the results have been very tangible.”
 
The event has been the result of a comprehensive team planning effort on the behalf of several organizations in the education community, including First 5 LA, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, LA Universal Preschool and Preschool California.  Other key organizers and underwriters include a committee of community leaders from schools, chambers, businesses, and media, including California State University – Dominguez Hills, CommuniCard, Univision Radio Los Angeles and others.
 
“CSU Dominguez Hills commends KMEX Univision 34 and KFTR TeleFutura 46 on their efforts to promote education and wellness within the Latino community,” said Mildred García, CSU Dominguez Hills president. “CSU Dominguez Hills shares that commitment and is extremely proud to host this first ‘Feria Deja Huella’. We look forward to welcoming everyone to campus, and we hope many will return as future students.”
 
The event will make history with the largest one-day book giveaway, distributing more than 20,000 books to every child that attends the Feria thanks to contributions from the Molina Foundation and Mexican Consulate. In addition to the over 60 non-profit organizations participating, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chivas USA and Univision Radio will be at the event to entertain the families and motivate the children to stay in school.
 
The stations have contracted David Hayes-Bautista, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine, UCLA, to conduct a survey among the parent attendees to discover their needs and issues.  The survey is the first of its kind in Los Angeles.