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Bridging the Gap

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WASHINGTON, DC - On March 19 & 20, 2004, the Partners in Hispanic Education, consisting of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, U.S. Department of Education and some of the nation's leading Hispanic organizations, corporate leaders, and national private entities, will convene to host the fifth of seven nationwide education outreach events for Hispanic American families.

"The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans and the Partners in Hispanic Education are in Albuquerque to share information and to hear from students, parents, families, and the entire community in an effort to achieve educational excellence for all Hispanic students," said Adam Chavarria, Executive Director of the White House Initiative. "We are confident, optimistic, and committed to working together to achieve the aims of No Child Left Behind - to make a positive and lasting difference in improving the education of Hispanic Americans."

The two-day "Feria Educativa" kicks off at 9:15 AM on Friday, March 19 in the Johnson Center located on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The event's agenda, organized by the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) will bring the community together with educators, business representatives, and local, state, and federal policymakers to discuss "what works" to improve Latino student achievement and increase their enrollment in college.

"NCCEP is pleased to convene the Albuquerque community at the Feria Educativa. We believe that the only way to close the academic achievement gap that exists between Hispanic students and other groups is to engage the community in projects and forums that provide them with information about what it will take to improve the condition of education for their youth. Their personal engagement in support of their youth is paramount to improving public education and student achievement," stated Hector Garza, President, NCCEP.

The program will provide valuable information and resources to students and families about how to help their children succeed in schools and gain admission into college. The forum will also focus on refining state and federal policies and institutional practices that will ultimately help Hispanic students earn advanced academic degrees.

Eugene Hickok, acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, will address the conference on Friday afternoon at 12:45 p.m. "The heart of every community is in its schools, and the future of every community is in it schools. The National Council for Community and Education Partnerships knows this, and is dedicated to making sure all of America's schools and all of America's children reach it's fullest potential," said Deputy Secretary Hickok.

U.S. Representative Heather Wilson (N.M.-1st) will speak at the event on Friday, March 19. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and U.S. Senator Pete Domenici (N.M.) are slated to deliver remarks on Saturday, March 20.

In addition, the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA) will broadcast select portions of the event via the Internet to the Little Havana Institute in Miami, Fla., Metropolitan Area Action Committee (MAAC) Community Charter School in Chula Vista, Calif., George I. Sanchez Charter High School in Houston, Texas and New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M.

Partnership participants have committed to hosting a total of seven programs over the next several months. Each will involve a series of events including town hall meetings, a seminar on student financial aid and scholarships, and educational workshops for parents, students, educators and business and community leaders. Additional future pilot cities include El Paso, Texas/Las Cruces, N.M.; and Detroit, Mich.

The Partners in Hispanic Education members include the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, United States Department of Education; National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP); United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USHCC Foundation); MANA, A National Latina Organization; Girl Scouts of the USA; Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU); State Farm; United States Army; National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP); Hispanic College Fund (HCF); Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (CREO); National Society of Hispanic MBA's (NSHMBA); Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA); Cuban American National Council (CNC); El Valor; and the College for Texans Campaign, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Media interested in attending should contact Susan McKinsey at the University of New Mexico, 505-277-1989, or on the day of the event, David Almacy with the White House Initiative, 202-549-7094 cell. For general event information, please contact Tim Gutierrez at the University of New Mexico, 505-277-3096.

To learn more about No Child Left Behind, visit the U.S. Department of Education web site at www.ed.gov/nclb and the Web site for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans located at www.yesican.gov and www.yosipuedo.gov.

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Program for Albuquerque, NM - March 19 & 20, 2004

Tucson, AZ - March 5 & 6, 2004

Bronx, NY - Feb. 6 & 7, 2004

Miami, FL - Dec. 5 & 6, 2003

San Diego, CA - Nov. 21 & 22, 2003

Overview: Partners in Hispanic Education