As children in Arizona and Colorado prepare to return to school, Hispanic CREO organizers are finishing up the first half of their year and are getting ready to move montañas in the fall.

In total, our parent organizers have trained more than 3,500 parents,  who in turn will deliver the Hispanic CREO message to thousands of Latinos throughout the two states.

From January to June, Hispanic CREO’s Arizona parent organizers Liliana Hutcheson and Christina Caro hosted 75 workshops, which educated and motivated more than 1,693 parents! Hutcheson reports the workshops are a necessity and the information that parents receive will ease their children’s transition back to school.  Arizona has many educational options, and HISPANIC CREO, through these workshops, ensures parents are aware of their school choices and the benefits available to them.

“Working together we are able to demand quality education and really make a difference,” Hutcheson states. As for plans for the fall, Hutcheson and Caro already have a long list of special events – including several Town Hall meetings and another 75 workshops!

In Colorado, our organizers Linda Sosa and Raaki Garcia also had an exciting and successful first half of the year. With lots of dedication and hard work, they were able to motivate more than 1,999 parents in the 54 workshops conducted throughout the state. In addition to their normal parent outreach activities, Sosa and Garcia are supporting the Hispanic CREO mission by serving as information resources through our toll-free number in Colorado.

On August 9, Hispanic CREO and Univision sponsored a CREO call-in night. Parents were able to call a toll-free number to ask questions about Colorado schools, CREO parent workshops, and education reform. The event was a huge success and provided much needed information to the community.
 
Watch these two in Colorado as they continue to work to become forces for change.

Miami, FL – There are big things going on in Miami! Hispanic CREO, the National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC), and Step Up for Students hosted an event for Latino parents to offer information and assist with applying for the Step Up for Students CTC scholarship.

More than 50 families attended with children in tow to find out more. Hosted by Emmanuel Baptist Church, the event was publicized extensively in Miami to encourage Latinos to attend or call for information. The necessity to reach out to Latinos was a must, as only 22 percent of the students who receive these scholarships are Hispanic.

Many of the parents attending also became new CREO members, determined to continue the fight for school choice on behalf of the Florida Latino community.

Scholarships are still available. Please help us to spread the word to other Latino families in need. Approved applicants receive up to $3,750 per year for private school tuition and books, or up to $500 in transportation costs to an out-of-district public school. By applying for a scholarship, families can improve their children's education now and prepare them for a better future.

For more information, please visit this website: http://www.stepupforstudents.com/ parents.htm

Miami Media Coverage

Hispanic CREO conducted a successful media campaign to promote its efforts in Florida. The Spanish-speaking media was incredibly receptive and supported us by inviting CREO representatives to participate in television, print, and radio interviews – getting out the word all over the Miami area! In the days leading up to the event, CREO conducted interviews with a number of media outlets, including the popular Radio Caracol and Radio La Poderosa.

The successful interviews resulted in a number of calls from parents asking about the scholarships. Media coverage helped tremendously in outreach to Latino parents and made this event a success.  It also helped those who could not attend find information. Thanks to CREO's work, more Miami-Dade County parents are informed of the available scholarships, and we are ready to conquer Orlando and other Florida cities with this important message!

Columbus, OH – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland continues to challenge school choice legislation, holding firm on his anti-voucher stance. Last month, Strickland used his executive power to veto funding for school vouchers for special needs students.  This decision has been widely criticized – even by Strickland’s own party – yet, the governor will not back down. Strickland’s choice to refuse funding for special education vouchers means that thousands of students will be denied the opportunity to attend schools catering to their special needs.

CREO’s Rocio Diaz is working in Ohio to capture, educate, and motivate Spanish-speaking Ohioans to mobilize on the school choice issue.  In conjunction with organizations such as the Black Alliance for Educational Options and School Choice Ohio, CREO is working to connect with key Hispanic leaders and other allies to push the school choice issue forward and strengthen ties with Hispanic-serving institutions.

A key element of CREO’s grassroots outreach is providing Spanish-language materials to the community to ensure that everyone has equal access to important information and working with local Spanish-language media to get the word out to the community.

Washington, D.C. – CREO welcomed students Soraya Chavez and Andy Quel from our affiliate, the Cesar Chavez High School for Public Policy in Washington, D.C. as summer interns.  Chavez and Quel gained experience working in CREO’s membership department, assisting with daily duties as well as long-term projects.

The students prepared mailings for new and prospective members, represented Hispanic CREO at education policy conferences in Washington, and worked tirelessly to update HISPANIC CREO’s membership database.

“It was a privilege to work with such motivated and hard-working students,” said Anne Guarnera (née Flor-Stagnato), Membership Coordinator, “Andy and Soraya’s contributions really helped us ramp up our membership program and prepare for future efforts.” Thank you, Soraya and Andy, and best of luck in your senior year!

The White House Faith-Based and Community Initiative will present its conference on Youth and Education in the Hispanic Community on Monday, September 24, 2007 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Washington Hilton hotel.    

In support of this initiative, Hispanic CREO will host a session entitled “Making Parental Involvement a Reality for Every Family.”

The conference will provide practical information on education reform and technical assistance for accessing federal resources to Hispanic faith-based and community leaders allowing them to better serve the children, youth, and families in their communities.  Although the conference will highlight successful educational partnerships in the Hispanic community, the information will be of benefit to all organizations working with youth of all races and ethnic backgrounds.

The conference is free, but pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Interested participants can register at: http://www.dtiassociates.com If you would like a form faxed to you please call 202-456-6708.

Please register by Tuesday, September 18th. If you must cancel your registration, please send an email to fbci@dtihq.com.