Univision launches 2nd phase of Es El Momento.

Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America, unveiled the second phase of its highly successful, multi-platform education initiative, Es El Momento (The Moment is Now). The initiative’s second phase highlights the importance of children having role models in their lives, encouraging parents to teach by example and instill in their children the importance of education, as the key to their success.
 
“Es El Momento’s second phase illustrates the inspirational journey of Hispanic individuals who were given the support and motivation needed to follow their dreams and aspirations. The campaign further underscores the importance of engagement and parents’ and role models’ presence in their children’s lives to ensure academic achievement,” said Joe Uva, president and CEO of Univision Communications Inc. “The continued success of Latino youth is critical to our country’s economic success and at Univision we are committed to playing our part to ensure we provide Hispanic families with access to the tools and resources needed to succeed.”
 
“We believe that education is the key to opportunity,” said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Our partnership with Univision is critical to spurring the conversation about the need for all students to graduate high school prepared for college and completion of a degree beyond high school. As Univision continues to be one of the most trusted sources of information for its viewers, we have confidence the second year of the campaign will inspire even more parents to become education advocates for their children.”
 
United States Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan stated, “We are absolutely committed to reducing dropout rates and boosting student achievement among Hispanic students. Our collaboration with Univision and other public/private partnerships is critical to our success. We look forward to continuing to work with Univision to cultivate and support a college-going culture among Hispanic students.”
 
The second phase of Es El Momento presents a series of motivational Public Service Announcements (PSAs) featuring leading Hispanics, including Indy Car series race car driver and engineer, Milka Duno; composer, lyricist and Tony Award-winner, Lin-Manuel Miranda; NASA astronaut and engineer, José Hernández; and award-winning novelist, Sandra Cisneros. The Es El Momento ambassadors were selected based on their outstanding achievements and inspirational stories of success that were positively impacted by the presence of their parents and role models. The PSAs were developed by Miami-based firm República. In addition, by leveraging all its platforms, television, radio and local outreach events, the initiative is helping connect Hispanic families with the tools and resources needed to succeed. As part of the second phase, Es El Momento will continue to expand its comprehensive, designated website www.eselmomento.com.
 
“We are extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish in the first year of Es El Momento in creating a college-bound culture as part of our mission to inform, entertain and empower Hispanic America,” said Cesar Conde, president, Univision Networks. “The response from our community and our partners has been phenomenal, which is why we have high expectations for the second phase of this important initiative that will play a part in ensuring the future economic success of our country.”
 
The 2010 Census is expected to show there are more than 50 million Hispanics in the U.S., and that overall, the population growth in the United States is being driven by the Hispanic community. Yet according to some of the latest research, Hispanic students across the country continue to lag behind in graduation rates compared to their non-Hispanic peers. Furthermore, a large gap remains between Latino students and their non-Latino counterparts in key areas of academic achievement – from standardized test scores and high school graduation, to college registration and completion.
 
Univision’s Es El Momento initiative, with the unwavering support of its Advisory Board, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education and major national and local community-based organizations, is making an impact in fostering academic achievement and college aspiration among the U.S. Hispanic community. The initiative has touched thousands of families in its first year through thousands of national PSAs and informational vignettes featured on the network’s multiple media platforms, and through local and national news coverage, special programming, and storyline integration into its primetime hit novela “Eva Luna.” Partnerships working at the local grassroots level have marked resonance and helped propel a movement for change in educational attainment for Latino youth. Collaboration from partners such as NASA and The College Board have been instrumental in providing important information, including the promotion of STEM efforts, internship opportunities and vital information for the transition from high school to college. In addition, the initiative has hosted dozens of events nationwide, including financial preparedness town halls in Chicago, San Antonio, Fresno and New York as well as comprehensive education fairs in Los Angeles and Austin that attracted thousands of attendees.