Hispanic Youth Institute: Summer program helps Latino students succeed

If I had to do high school all over again, I wish I would have had a mentor to guide me through those years. Just to keep me on track and help me figure out what to do for my future. I have to thank my brother, Jesse for encouraging me to go to college.

Not all Latino teens have such luck. It appears some Hispanic students in the U.S. need guidance just to stay in school. That’s why the Hispanic College Fund’s Hispanic Youth Institute is so important. I’ll talk about that summer program in a second.

In a study by the Pew Hispanic Center in May 2010; it revealed that Hispanics have a much higher high school dropout rate than do blacks and whites. The dropout rate is higher for foreign born Latinos compared to those born in the U.S.

The HCF's HispanicYouth Institute zeros in on Latino teens. This  summer program is held at 8 locations in the U.S. It takes about 100-150 high school kids at each location.

For four days they go through a college empowerment program. It builds the student's confidence and teaches them the tools they’ll need to get to college.

The program includes:

• College and career workshops 
• Meetings with local Latino professionals
• Meetings with college admissions officers
• Connect teens with mentors
• Connects teens with Inspirational speakers
• Competition for scholarships

The Hispanic Youth Institute is a summer program in the following cities:                                

Tempe, AZ-Arizona State University
Central Valley, CA-Fresno State University
Dallas, TX-Southern Methodist University
Los Angeles, CA-UCLA
Towson, MD –Towson University
Albuquerque, NM-University of New Mexico
Silicon Valley, CA—Santa Clara University
Petersburg, VA--Virginia State University

You probably know a Hispanic student who may need this program. Please share the following link with a student and their parents.

 Hispanic College Fund-Hispanic Youth Institute

The deadline for applications is March 31. The Hispanic College Fund is also looking for volunteers at all the locations.

Pay it forward everyone!  Help a Hispanic teen stay in school, go to college and succeed!