Lumina's Press Release about Latino Student Success

Lumina's Latino Student Success Effort: America's Economic Future Increasingly Depends on Graduating More Latinos from College

Press release

INDIANAPOLIS-Latinos are the fastest-growing student population in America. Recognizing this growth, Lumina Foundation's Latino Student Success effort is focused on increasing Latinos' educational attainment for the future of the nation. The Foundation is pleased to work alongside Excelenciain Education and Foundation Strategy Group (FSG) to provide technical assistance and evaluation support to all grantees working to increase Latino student success. Last night in Washington, D.C., at the Celebracin de Excelencia, Lumina Foundation's Program Officer Tina Gridiron Smith joined Sarita E. Brown and Deborah A. Santiago of Excelencia in recognizing the innovative projects of 13 communities in 11 states.

Lumina is pleased to acknowledge the great work and leadership of local champions all across the country. Over the past six months, Lumina has provided technical assistance and support to these 13 communities as they have refined and developed Latino student success projects. The cohort is now ready for implementation, and the projects proposed seek to increase the educational attainment for more than 200,000 students touched by this effort over the next four years. This investment in Latino student success is designed to strengthen local collaborative ventures that promise to improve the postsecondary attainment of Latino students.

Through this grant investment, Lumina is providing a total of $11.5 million over a four year period to 13 different partnerships. The partnerships will leverage community leaders across key policy, education, business and nonprofit sectors to build, implement and sustain college preparation, access and success strategies for Latino students.

"Lumina's Latino Student Success effort is grounded in two concepts: a commitment to Latino student success for reasons of equity, economic stability and national competitiveness, and the power of local partnerships as framed by the Collective Impact Model," said Lumina Foundation President and CEO Jamie Merisotis. "This effort is an integral part of our commitment to Goal 2025."

At more than 50 million, by 2025, half of the nation's workers will be of Latino descent. At that time, 63 percent of all jobs in the United States will require some form of postsecondary education or training, according to labor economist Anthony Carnevale of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

"Lumina's Latino Student Success effort enables us to focus on a task that is at once a serious challenge and a priceless opportunity: increasing college attainment for more Latino students," said Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education. "This effort will not only enhance the lives of Latino students but will help to ensure a bright future for all Americans."

The success of this effort is a key driver on the road to reach all national college attainment goals.

About Lumina Foundation

Lumina Foundation, an Indianapolis-based private foundation, is committed to enrolling and graduating more students from college especially 21st century students: low-income students, students of color, first-generation students and adult learners. Lumina's goal is to increase the percentage of Americans who hold high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025. Lumina pursues Goal 2025 in three ways: by identifying and supporting effective practice, through public policy advocacy, and by using our communications and convening power to build public will for change.