Adelante: College Access Program for Latino Youth in Minnesota

Abstract

In Minnesota and in every state of the United States of America, educational disparities between Latinos and other groups continue to be one the biggest challenges towards the prosperity and overall wellbeing for those communities. There is a clear need for an equitable access to education and a need to invest in the training of future generations by targeting resources to those which need it the most. Latinos are the fastest growing minority group in Minnesota, but the most poorly educated. One of the factors in this disparity is the current crisis that Latinos face when pursuing higher education. Not enough Latino’s are going to college and those who do enroll are at risk of never completing. The primary reason why Latinos students do not attend and/or complete a college degree is because they do not understand how to prepare for college or even why they should attend. It is in the best interest for the State of Minnesota and key stakeholders to find ways to begin the process of narrowing the gap between Latinos and higher education. This project proposes a program that would help Latino youth access and navigate higher education.