Latino College Access Coalition
History
The Latino College Access Coalition (LCAC) began in February 2009, as a partnership of four (4) core community organizations to respond to the need of assisting Latino families complete their FAFSA application prior to the March 1st deadline. The original partners were- the College Planning Center of RI, the Center for Hispanic Policy and Advocacy, Quisqueya In Action and the Gloria Dei Stepup Center as well as supporting organizations such as Brown University, United Way 211, Sodexo Education Services and Poder 1110AM. Together these partners’ assisted 109 families complete their FAFSA application, on Saturdays, at local Latino organizations, with help from bilingual counselors. Today, other organizations are joining our coalition such as: Rhode Island College School of Social Work, John Hope Settlement House, Dorcas Place Welcome Back Center, the Elmwood Community Center, Progreso Latino and The Providence Housing Authority.
Our Mission
To educate, inform and assist Latinos of all ages and backgrounds, to access and succeed in higher education institutions making their dreams of a higher education come true. The project model is provided in a community based environment of “Confianza,” which in Spanish means “Trust, comfort, and level of familiarity and knowledge that bespeaks confidence.”
Our Vision of Success
The Latino College Access Coalition program provides an opportunity to develop Rhode Island’s Latino workforce so that it can compete effectively in a global, knowledge-based economy by helping improve access to higher education through community based, multi-faceted, multi-lingual and multimedia opportunities.
Our Goal
- To create a network of community organizations throughout the state that will enhance college access assistance to Latinos
- To increase the number of Latinos of all ages accessing and completing college through community informational and educational workshops
- To develop comprehensive, wrap around services to provide case management for students and their families
- To create a multimedia, bilingual campaign to inform and educate the Latino community about college access
- To strengthen our coalition through support from Latino and community leaders
- To develop a strong fund development and management component to leverage future resources
Our Founding Partners
Each of our partners brings their unique expertise and knowledge to the coalition:
Quisqueya In Action is the founder of the College Awareness and Preparation Program of Rhode Island (CAPP-RI), a project that was created to increase the number of Latino students pursuing, accessing and succeeding in higher education.
The Center for Hispanic Policy and Advocacy (CHisPA) is a trusted bilingual community-based organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Latino families and individuals. They are well known for embracing the community in a cultural and linguistic appropriate manner, where the community feels comfortable and welcome to access information needed to succeed in the United States.
Gloria Dei Stepup Center mission is to welcome and give a step up to immigrants and Latinos, by helping them achieve their educational goals. They introduce opportunities and motivated partners, who teach, coach, mentor and support everyone’s dream to make their own mark as citizens of a multi-ethnic society. The Center is composed of educators who want to teach students how to achieve higher education.
The College Planning Center of Rhode Island (CPC) has provided college access assistance to over 60,000 families in RI. Professional counselors provide FREE one-on-one advising and assistance on all aspects of college planning, from selecting schools to completing financial aid forms.
LCAC Offers all our programs and services in Spanish and English
- Financial Aid Workshops
- College Planning Workshops
- One-on-One Counseling
- College Planning Materials
- College Tours
- Informational sessions
- Comprehensive Online Tools & Information
- Financial Literacy Presentations
- SAT Preparation
- Scholarship Search Resources
Why is LCAC Important today
- According to a recently released report from RI Kids Count; “Hispanics in Rhode Island have lower educational attainment levels than the population overall. In the 2007- 2008 school year, the high school graduation rate for Hispanic youth was 62%, the lowest of any racial/ethnic group in the state and lower than the overall Rhode Island high school graduation rate of 74%.”
- In 2007, 12% of Hispanics 25 years of age and older in Rhode Island hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 30% of all Rhode Islanders. Hispanic immigrants in Rhode Island are more likely to have less than a high school education, but are also more likely to have a college degree or higher than Hispanics born in the U.S.
- The LCAC has been created at a critical time in our state. In a study released in 2005 by The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education information was presented that related to the level of Rhode Island’s workforce projection. The study found that the average level of education of Rhode Island’s workforce and the income of its residents was projected to decline over the next two decades unless the state increases the number of Hispanic/Latinos attending college and earning a degree. This fact is based on information which shows that the share of Rhode Island’s workforce of whites (particularly those under the age of 45) is declining rapidly, while the share of racial/ethnic groups is projected to reach 23% by the year 2020. This increase is mainly attributed to the growth in the Hispanic/Latino population, whose share of the workforce is expected to jump from 2% in 1980 to 14% in 2020.
- The second fact identified by The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education is that Hispanic/Latinos are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in Rhode Island, yet have the lowest levels of education in the state. The study shows that the gap between the educational levels of whites and Hispanic/Latinos is substantial. Given these demographic shifts, Rhode Island must work towards decreasing the gap by working with this population to ensure Hispanic/Latinos can be better prepared to access higher education. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education projects that the workforce in Rhode Island with a high school degree will increase; however, it projects that the workforce with an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree will decrease.
- The LCAC program provides an opportunity to develop Rhode Island’s Latino workforce so that it can compete effectively in a global, knowledge-based economy by helping raise access to higher education through community based, multi-faceted, multi-lingual and multimedia opportunities. Through this program we are able to reach Latinos from all walks of the community, to educate them, inform them, and assist them in accessing higher education and to graduate from college or specialized training fields with the skills needed to enter today’s workforce.
LCAC is unique because:
- We target a specific demographic: Latino Community
- We work with all ages, middle and high school age students, immigrants, recent arrivals foreign trained professional, and individuals with GEDs.
- We have a strong community presence with partnerships ranging from community based organizations, cultural associations, faith-based organizations, state and city government programs and Leaders from theLatino community.
- We have built a parent engagement component to help alleviate cultural and language barriers to collegesuccess.
- We offer a comprehensive wrap around approach to ensure college access success in a community based environment of “Confianza,”
- Extensive bi-lingual and multi-media component
