El Semanario - Periodico para Hispanos en Denver y Colorado - Bilingual Latino newspaper:Education

Preventing the exorbitant cost of student mobility

The societal cost of a high school dropout has been calculated into actual dollars and cents and circulated for public awareness. What is less known, though, is the exorbitant cost to a child�s potential achievement caused by switching schools for reasons other than grade level progression � an

Youth, businesses needed for summer program

Denver�s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) application is available online (Denvergov.org) and youth may also apply in person at Denver Youth Services Workforce Center, 1391 N. Speer Blvd. #520, Monday � Friday, from 8am to 5pm. Applicants must be a resident of the City and County of Denver to

Revealing Indigenous heritage through storytelling

The Colorado Folk Arts Council and Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD) Department of Chicana/o Studies Journey Through Our Heritage Program will host a special tribute to National Poetry Month with a free concert at the Aurora Fox (9900 E. Colfax ), April 25, noon-1pm with, with special

Water World to hire 1000 for 2012 season

Hyland Hills Water World, one of the nation�s largest family water parks, is looking for bright, smiling faces to join their team of over 1,000 employees for the 2012 summer season. Applicants can apply for various jobs including, cashier, food service, gift shop, grounds, lifeguard, and park

Online college resources, info sessions

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet launched a new college resource webpage to help Colorado students and families navigate the college application, financial aid and loan process and learn about available resources to make college more accessible and affordable. �College can be expensive and the

Crouching while Mexican: TUSD escalates militarization

An Arizona high school student who addressed the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) school board last Tuesday about the TUSD-MAS (Mexican America Studies) controversy, was reportedly pulled out of his classroom on February 17th by school security personnel. TUSD board member Adelita Grijalva

DPS "on-time" graduation rate rises to 4.3-point gain

Denver Public Schools have increased a four-year "on-time" graduation rate, posting a 4.3-point gain and graduating 175 more students last spring over the previous year, according to data released recently by the Colorado Department of Education. This brings the district's four-year rate from 51.8%

DPS: $4.8 million to improve college-readiness

Denver Public Schools has been awarded a seven-year grant from the US Department of Education�s Gaining Early Awareness&Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) to support and improve college-readiness programs for students who attend schools in the Northwest Denver community. The $4.8

Metro State College working towards HAS status

Metropolitan State College of Denver reaches record level of Latino undergraduate student enrollment �a 12 percent increase from 2010. This brings the College�s Latino enrollment to 18.2 percent (4,281 students) and overall students of color to 31.6 (7,443 students). �We are making significant

Millions awarded to HSI�s focusing on Latino students

More than 100 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) will receive a total of $107.4 million to strengthen and expand educational opportunities for Latino students, the U.S. Department of Education announced this week. The HSI program provides grants to make college more attainable for Latino students

Applications available for next generation women

After a successful launch last year of an effort to address the underrepresentation of Latina professionals in the nonprofit sector, the National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), the nation's premier organization developing, connecting, and promoting Latina leaders, is recruiting for the second

DREAM Act Sabbath

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and more than a dozen religious leaders representing a broad variety of faith traditions this week announced a DREAM Act Sabbath � an initiative enlisting churches, synagogues, and mosques around the country to

DPS launches college ready institutes

Hundreds of Denver high school students are expected to take part in the district�s first-ever College Ready Institutes to be held throughout the summer at several DPS high schools. These school-based institutes are designed for students who are interested in building their knowledge of the skills

Students continue to fight Ethnic Studies ban

On the morning of May 3rd, a group of University of Arizona (UA) students and supporters disrupted UA Professor and Tucson Unified School DistrictTUSD Board President Mark Stegeman's lecture course in a drastic move to draw attention to the TUSD Board's fateful vote on Ethnic Studies which was

Going Hungry for Ethnic Studies

Hungry students and their supporters sit for the seventh day in front of University of California at Berkeley�s California Hall, after a futile meeting with University Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. The students asked Birgeneau yesterday to reinstate fired ethnic-studies staff members. �We're still

�We will not give up on tuition equity�

Colorado Republicans walked away from $4 million a year for higher education and failed thousands of students. The House education committee voted on party lines to kill Colorado ASSET which was projected to help hundreds of students a year afford a higher education while putting millions of dollars

Bennet sends letter in support of DREAM Act kids

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined 21 fellow senators last week, in a letter to President Obama in support of kids who fall under the DREAM Act. Bennet and his colleagues urged the President to use his authority to grant relief from deportation to young people eligible for the Development,

Improving Opportunities

On March 28th, President Obama participated in a town hall meeting on education hosted by Univision at Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, DC. The town hall provided the President an opportunity to talk with students, parents and teachers about the importance of out-educating our global

Buying College: What Consumers Need to Know

�If only I�d known then what I know now� seems to be a common lament from college graduates these days. We hear it from students who attended for-profit institutions only to find that their skills are not marketable but their debt will haunt them for the next 30 years. But we also hear it from law

Racial profiling, illegal search at issue in ACLU lawsuit

In a lawsuit filed in federal court March 28, attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado alleged that the Denver Police Department engaged in racial profiling and biased policing when it targeted Denver resident Jose Sanchez, detained him without reasonable suspicion, and falsely

The Story of César Estrada Chávez

The story of César Estrada Chávez begins near Yuma, Arizona. César was born on March 31, 1927. He was named after his grandfather, Cesario. Regrettably, the story of Chávez also ends near Yuma, Arizona. He passed away on April 23, 1993, in San Luis, a small village near Yuma, Arizona. He learned

Colorado State University honors César Chávez

Colorado State University will join the Fort Collins community to host a weeklong celebration honoring Mexican-American activist César Chávez beginning this week. The theme of this year�s celebration is �Human Dignity and Spirit through Resistance, Endurance and Empowerment,� and events include

Company opens scholarship to all majors

MassMutual will offer $5,000 college scholarships to high-achieving students for its third straight year. The company's annual Scholars Program offers a total of $135,000 to college students of African-American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic descent residing or going to school in nine

�Best Internship on Earth� accepting applications

The Sierra Club has opened up applications for the second year of the wildly popular "Best Internship on Earth" for the summer of 2011. Students and recent graduates around the country are vying to spend the summer as the Sierra Club's Youth Outdoors Ambassador, hiking, rafting, and camping on a

Jeffco job fair connects youth with employers

Youth ages 14 to 21 can explore career possibilities in emerging industries and visit with community partners and school representatives at the Jeffco YouthWorks Young Adult Job Fair on March 1st, 1:30-5:30 p.m. at Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 15200 W. 6th Avenue, Golden. The fair is a great way

Local foundation offering 2011-2012 scholarships

The Pinnacol Foundation, which provides scholarships to the children of Colorado�s injured workers, is now accepting applications for the 2011-2012 school year. The application deadline is March 31. The Foundation provides scholarships to children whose parents have been killed or seriously injured

Bennet asks Coloradans to share stories of red tape

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet is continuing his efforts to improve our education system and is asking to hear directly from Coloradans about their experiences with red tape and bureaucratic barriers getting in the way of progress in their schools and school districts as well as their ideas to

Applications due for teachers summer institute

Hunter College invites K-12 educators to become one of twenty-five participating National Endowments for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Scholars to explore New York City through the fascinating perspective of Latinos who have helped shape the culture and rhythm of this city. Teachers of all subjects

Scholarships available in advertising, marketing

The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) is now accepting scholarships applications for the 2011/2012 academic year. Applications must be submitted to TLF by Monday, February 28, for consideration. Twenty outstanding students will be awarded college scholarships: fifteen undergraduate students will receive

Metro State College begins franchise program

Recently, the Center for Innovation at Metropolitan State College of Denver announces a first-of-its-kind franchise ownership program, further solidifying Denver nationally as a key test market for small business development. This unique program, supported by its first seed gift of $100,000 from

Parent conference set for migrant families

The West Metro, East Metro and Denver Public Schools are sponsoring a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) for migrant families. The conference will take place on January 29, from 8:00 am � 2:30 pm at Jefferson High School 2305 Pierce St., Wheatridge. A representative of Colorado Department of Education

Tijuana seeks hope for students through music

Hector is a shy, chubby kid. With a sure step, he enters the room at the Musical Arts Center in Tijuana where a crowd of over a hundred people have their eyes upon him. Most of them are kids like him. �Bach was a great composer, who thought joy was a feeling more powerful than life itself, so when

DREAMers wonder whats next

Eighteen-year-old Francisco Curiel was present in the U.S. Senate chamber as the votes were tallied. His hopes alternately surged and crashed as each of the powerful legislators made their choice, �yea� or �nay,� on the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act�or Development, Education, and Relief for Alien

�Time for the Senate to do the right thing�

In a historic vote on December 8th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the DREAM Act. Next in line to vote, the U.S. Senate chose to table the DREAM Act � a move that has bought us more time to secure the needed votes to pass the DREAM Act in the Senate before the lame duck session ends.

The DREAM Act: Shrinking towards reality

As it inches forward in Congress, the DREAM Act has grown more restrictive. The DREAM Act�or Development, Education, and Relief for Alien Minors Act�would provide a chance at legal residency for young undocumented immigrants who graduate from high school and go on to college or the military. But

Cant Kill This DREAM

Here�s a rarity in Washington, D.C. these days: bipartisan legislation supported by the president, leading conservatives, a vast majority of congressional Democrats, and a supermajority of the public. It�s the DREAM Act, a bill that would create a path to legal status for undocumented youth who

Young man tells congress: �Give me a chance�

As the DREAM Act moves toward a vote during the lame duck session of Congress, Republicans are busy dusting off their excuses for intransigence, inaction, and opposition to DREAM. But the story of a young future pastor out of Ohio illustrates the compelling need for the DREAM Act, and what�s at

DREAM Act crucial to nations� future

The day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced he will bring the DREAM Act to the floor, as a stand-alone measure, during the lame-duck session, DREAM-eligible youth joined national leaders at the National Press Club to call on Congress to pass the DREAM Act before the end of 2010.

Defending Pell Grants: Education is key to economy

One of the least publicized achievements of the 111th Congress is the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which passed as part of the health care reform package that was signed into law by President Barack Obama in March. SAFRA cut billions of dollars in senseless subsidies that private

Higher education need to be more accessible

There�s a well-established connection between postsecondary education and economic prosperity, which is why it�s imperative that a higher percentage of Americans attain college degrees. Those living in rapidly growing communities of color tend to earn fewer degrees than their white counterparts:

Dia de los Muertos: Teaching life through death

A trail of luminescent light lined the streets of north Denver on Monday, as the Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudios hosted their annual Día de los Muertos procession beginning at La Raza Park on 38th Avenue. El Grupo Tlaloc led the procession with their traditional ceremonial dance, and paying

Dolores Huerta: Spoken like a true lídera

Fearless labor leader and civil rights activist, Dolores Huerta, visited Denver earlier this month as part of her year-long celebration to commemorate her 80th birthday. Huerta has utilized her notable birthday as a way to tour the country to speak out and advocate for farm worker rights and other

Student coalition urges students to vote early

Early this week ReEnergize the Vote-- the national nonpartisan youth voter mobilization campaign of the Sierra Student Coalition and other student organizations - began efforts to encourage young people to vote early. As part of the campaigns efforts to increase the turnout of young people in

Conference aims to heal, nurture through cuentos

In a unique effort to deal with conflict resolution, the Rocky Mountain Storytellers Conference and Metropolitan State College of Denver�s Journey Through Our Heritage program will sponsor the First Annual Peace and Justice Conference: Healing Wounds Through Story, October 14th through October 16th,

Generation 1st Degree

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), recognizing the nations need for more college graduates in spite of the current recession, is launching "Generation 1st Degree," an initiative focused on closing the "degree gap" that exists between Hispanic students and their peers. The strategy seeks to help at

Metro State Latino population accelerates

Continuing a trend that started 12 years ago, enrollment is up at Metropolitan State College of Denver. The college recorded 24,008 students enrolled for the fall 2010 semester, which is a 4.8 percent increase over last fall. A small portion of the increased enrollment is due to the addition this

DREAM Act inclusion garners national praise

After years of working towards education equality, supporters of the DREAM Act applauded Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) who this week announced plans for a vote on the Defense Department Reauthorization bill early next week that will include the DREAM Act. Ali Noorani, Exec. Dir. of the

Teachers revel in student experiences

Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudio educators, Jaime Gomez and Mark de la Cruz Chavez discussed their experience in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans with thirty three of their students. What led to this particular destination for this years trip? Mark de la Cruz Chavez and Jaime Gomez: We

Proposed regulation will define college credits

A New York Times article recently quoted an immigrant from Ecuador who was amazed at how little she knew of the community college system: �I didn�t know what a credit was.� Turns out, she�s not the only one. It may be surprising to learn that although most college graduates earn around 120 credits

School grant program to award over $100k

For many schools around the country, back-to-school this year is a lesson in economics they would rather not have. Education budgets have been cut nationwide and valuable school programs such as sports, music and art are being hit hard. These programs are critical to a child�s development, and

DPS launches free English immersion program

Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together (MATT) and Denver Public Schools (DPS) announced the launch of MATT Maestro en Casa (Teacher at Home) English immersion program to be implemented in Denver, through radio station MARIA 1090 AM. Beginning September 15, participants of the program will need to

Making college more affordable, more diverse

Earlier this year, the Senate passed the reconciliation bill in one of the final steps in the year-long struggle for health care reform. But many are still not aware that as it did, it also simultaneously approved a proposal that would help millions of young people afford college�especially Latinos

Community mural evokes strong sentiments

Brilliant colors and thought-provoking messages adorn the exterior of El Centro Humanitario, a successful day-labor organization near Denver�s Five-Points District. Recently, students from the Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudios shared their experience in creating the artistic endeavor. The

Jeffco YouthWorks hosts free Career Camp

Jefferson County Workforce Center and Jeffco YouthWorks is hosting a free "Career Camp" for youth, ages 16-21, on Friday, July 30at 11am. This half-day career camp will take place in the Laramie Building at Jefferson County Workforce Center, 3500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401. For young adults

Students: Register now for September ACT test

Registration is now open for the September 11, ACT achievement test. Students who wish to take the college admission and placement exam must register before August 6. The national ACT September exam is the earliest college admissions test date of the school year. For high school seniors, this date

Children master an appreciation of the arts

Celebrated artist Rita Flores de Wallace demonstrated her artisan skills with local children gathered at the Children�s Museum of Denver this week in honor of the Biennial of the Américas festivities. Flores de Wallace demonstrated the art of doll making and assisted the youngsters in creating

Students boldly confront hurdles for higher ed

Hundreds of young immigrant students from across the country are gathering this month in Washington, D.C., to pressure Congress for swift passage of the DREAM Act, bipartisan legislation that will benefit talented undocumented immigrant kids who yearn to attend college or serve in the United States

School supply drive underway for youth

The Denver Department of Human Services (DDHS) launched its Annual School Supply Drive to benefit foster, homeless and underprivileged children, which runs through August 6. The goal is to raise enough school supplies for DDHS caseworkers to help 3,000 disadvantaged children and teens start off the

Creating the next generation of Latino leaders

After a competitive application process, 19 graduating seniors have been selected to participate in the Young Ambassadors Program, a national, interdisciplinary, leadership development program created by the Smithsonian Latino Center to foster the next generation of Latino leaders in the arts,

Call for immediate action on DREAM Act

With commencement ceremonies taking place nationwide, the reality that a dead end looms ahead for an estimated 65,000 undocumented high school graduates is of concern to national organizations who last week issued a call to action on the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors

Film addresses anti-gay bullying in schools

Jamie Nabozny carefully planned his every move at school. The anti-gay bullying by his classmates in Ashland, Wis., was relentless. What started as verbal abuse had become kicks and punches by the seventh grade. Even before the first class bell sounded, Nabozny was already mapping out his day: He

Taking the next steps in life

As the school year wraps up, several students are celebrating graduations and the next steps of their life, including the graduating class of 2010 at the Denver Inner City Parish’s school, La Academia. The students began their commencement ceremony with a procession through the community from

Latino children's social skills erode

Editor’s Note: The American Psychological Association recently published a special section highlighting research on Latino children and educational performance in the journal Developmental Psychology. It found that Latino children, despite growing up in poverty, started kindergarten with strong

Students enchanted with folklorico performance

This year marks the 200 year anniversary of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. In recognition of the bicentennial celebration, folklorico dancers Janelle Ayón and Jorge Torres Chávez from el Ballet Folklorico de México de Amalia Hernández organized a school performance for students at Graland

Psychology student creates scholarship fund

Sam Lustgarten, a Colorado State University psychology student, never imagined himself as the type of guy who would start a scholarship fund.

Tragedy can be a motivator.

Lustgarten has spent two years as a residence hall advisor dealing firsthand with suicide and the resulting emotional

Escuela’s signature fundraiser honors role models

Nine outstanding individuals will receive “Champions of Change” honors at the Annual Flor y Canto Festival on Sunday, May 23th, 5:30-9pm, at the 9th Street Historic Park on Auraria Campus in Denver. Event host Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudios is a Denver-based school that emphasizes

Former educator challenges new generation

Pauline Martínez McBeth grew up in a family supported by seasonal farm work in a small rural town of Rocky Ford in southeastern Colorado. She received two graduate fellowships during her professional career and she worked as an English teacher, counselor, central administrator, and a principal

Senators call on DHS to protect immigrant youth

Last week, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) released a letter to the Obama Administration asking for a halt in deportations of immigrant youth who would be eligible for the DREAM Act, which would permit certain undocumented students to become permanent legal residents if

Latina student honored with $10,000 scholarship

Senior Lilia Roman of Bruce Randolph School in Denver was one of two recipients of this year’s $10,000 Comcast Founders Scholarship. The company awarded a total of $77,000 in college scholarships to fifty-seven Colorado students. Roman was selected from the pool of scholarship recipients for the

Helping Latinos stay on road to graduation

About 45 percent of Hispanic students do not complete high school on time. Yet recent studies also show that most students understand the value of having a high school diploma and don't want to drop out of school. Ford Motor Company Fund and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) are

Scholarship program expanded to include Denver

Daniel De la Rosa, the son of Mexican immigrants, has used his scholarship to continue studying accounting at the University of Houston. Alyssa Whitwell's scholarship enabled her to continue studying math and economics at UCLA, despite a huge spike in tuition and fees. And Ranieka Meadors'

Colorado&Education in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010

The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 delivered a significant down payment on the President’s ambitious agenda to make higher education more affordable and help more Americans earn a college degree. The law raises the maximum Pell Grant, makes loan payments more affordable for

Reforms Will End Student Loan Bank Subsidies and Expand Access to College

Editor’s Note: In his March 27th address, President Barack Obama praised the bold reforms to the higher education system passed by Congress this week. These reforms save the taxpayers $68 billion over the next decade by ending the subsidies given to banks and middlemen who handle student loans.

The history of ¡Si se puede!

In May 1972, a decade after César Chávez founded the United Farmworkers Union, the Legislature in his native state of Arizona pushed through a bill sponsored by agribusiness denying farm workers the right to strike and boycott during harvest seasons, and effectively making it impossible for them

$500,000 in college scholarships available

Latino graduating high school seniors and college students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are invited to apply for more than $500 K in scholarships available through AHETEMS (Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science), the

Adelante puts students on road to graduation

The 2010 essay/video contest, "Destino: Latinoamérica" (Destination: Latin América) for Latino college students, announced they are seeking applicants for the program funded by the Adelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund and Continental Airlines.

Participants write a short essay or produce a

Jóvenes Unidos lobbies capitol, meet legislators

Jóvenes Unidos (Youth United) members visited the Colorado State Capitol on Tuesday and met with lawmakers about the “Educator Evaluations and Effectiveness” bill being sponsored by Senator Johnston, Representative Todd and Representative Merrifield. The bill, which is scheduled to be

LAGRANT accepting applications for scholarships

The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) is now accepting applications for $125,000 in scholarships for the 2010/2011 academic year. Applications must be submitted to TLF by February 26, 2010 for consideration.

Ethnic minority undergraduate and graduate students majoring in advertising, marketing or public

CHCI: Internships, fellowships, scholarships

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), an educational and youth leadership development organization, is recruiting Latino students — college-bound, undergraduate and graduate — for its leadership development programs.

Applications for CHCI’s Congressional Internship Program,

Foundation opens scholarship application process

Applications are being accepted now through March 31, 2010, for the Pinnacol Foundation scholarship, which serves children of injured workers seriously disabled or killed in work-related accidents.

The scholarship is intended for the 2010-2011 school year. Students may use the money for