Alejandra Ceja, executive director and Maribel Duran, chief of staff of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, will visit Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) in Florida on Wednesday, May 27 for a day of activities to announce the launch of “Latinos in Action,” BCPS’s “Commitment to Action” in honor of the Initiative’s 25th Anniversary Year of Action: Fulfilling America's Future.
“Latinos in Action” is an elective high school course that will empower Latino students to graduate from high school and matriculate into postsecondary education. The course focuses on leadership, literacy and service. BCPS will start the pilot program at six high schools: Charles W. Flanagan, Cypress Bay, Everglades, Hollywood Hills, McArthur and West Broward.
In addition to a news conference at 2:30 pm, the day’s activities will include visits to two high schools that will implement the course, a luncheon with BCPS Superintendent Robert Runcie and district staff, and a roundtable discussion with area business and community leaders about how they can support BCPS’s work and turn their own commitments into action. Jose Enriquez, executive director of Latinos in Action, will also participate, sharing the program vision and engaging students, teachers and stakeholders.
“We know that the future of our nation is inextricably linked to the future of the Hispanic community,” said executive director Ceja. “The commitment from Broward County Public Schools to invest in advancing educational achievement and building leadership among its Hispanic students is an example of how our nation can ensure a prosperous future not just for the Latino community, but the entire nation, for the next 25 years.”
In September 2015, the Initiative will celebrate its 25th anniversary, a historic milestone that will be commemorated with the leveraging of public- and private-sector commitments to action that invest in quality education programs and strategies for Hispanics.