HCC joins in White House commitment to invest in Hispanic students
Aug 10, 2015
Houston Community College (HCC) Chancellor, Dr. Cesar Maldonado, is joining leaders from public and private sectors across Houston to support and educate more area Hispanics. As a result of a call to action from the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, HCC will partner with the University of Houston (UH) in developing a program aimed at supporting student academic success, readiness to transfer, and smooth integration in the UH community. The initiative will help over 350,000 students and 47,000 parents and educators in the Houston area.
“Educating all populations is vital to the growth of the Houston economy,” said Dr. Maldonado. “Our goal in this partnership is to prepare Hispanic students to be leaders and innovators in their chosen fields. We are honored to be a part of this nationwide effort.”
HCC is one of the most diverse community colleges in the country and Hispanics make up 32 percent of the student population.
“The commitments announced by Houston’s public and private leaders will help us tackle the critical education challenges Hispanics face from cradle-to-career,” said Alejandra Ceja, the Initiative’s executive director. “Investing in our Latino students is not only the smart thing to do; but it is also the right thing to do to strengthen our country’s economy and global competitiveness. In order to continue leveling the playing field for Latinos and ensure our nation’s vitality, we must continue to invest in their educational advancement.”
Other institutions/organizations that have made commitments to this White House Initiative include:
• American Latino Center for Research, Education & Justice
• Houston Hispanic Forum
• Lone Star College
• NASA Johnson Space Center
•Talento Bilingue de Houston
• Tejano Center for Community Concerns-Raul Yzaguirre School for Success
• The National Hispanic Professional Organization
• University of Houston-Downtown
• Youth Genesis Consutling, Inc.
“As the Hispanic community continues to grow, educating our kids becomes ever more important. For this reason many individuals have dedicated their lives to education,” said Ben Mendez, founder, National Hispanic Professional Organization. “Being part of the White House Initiative gave me an opportunity to work with some of these amazing individuals. Their commitment to help others is commendable and I look forward to seeing their many accomplishments in the years to come as they fulfill their commitments to action.”
The Obama Administration is committed to investments to expand high-quality early learning programs; increase equity and opportunity for all students; support teachers and school leaders; and improve access, affordability and student outcomes in college. It is the Administration’s priority to ensure that every single child in this country deserves the opportunity to receive a strong education.
The Initiative was established in 1990 to address the educational disparities faced by the Hispanic community. 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.
For more information about programs offered at Houston Community College, visit hccs.edu.