Programs

About the Program

Triangle for Latino Student Success is a joint project of the Adelante Educational Coalition and Hispanics in Philanthropy, both of which have a rich history of working in North Carolina’s Latino communities.   Currently in the planning phase, the project will target three counties in the vicinity of North Carolina’s Research Triangle:  Durham, Johnston, and Wake.  The project’s design is based on the belief that advancing Latino student success requires the meaningful and deep engagement of Latino leaders and communities.  With this in mind, the project will involve coalitions between Latino families, educational institutions and key stakeholders from multiple sectors.  The project makes use of a three-pronged or “triangular” strategy:

The Triangle program will expand and scale up a number of interventions that already have a proven track record of creating pathways to success for Latino students:

• Develop a coordinated system to provide year-round after-school college preparation and leadership development for high school students and their families
• Provide one-on-one mentorship and support for college students
• Deliver professional training for educators to provide school administrators and teachers with better knowledge of the Hispanic student population and the factors that interfere with their educational success
• Create a regional system for measuring and monitoring Latino student success, including specific numerical goals for increasing high school graduation rates, college entry rates, and college completion rates for Latino students
• Advocate for state, local, and institutional policies that promote Latino student success

According to the census, North Carolina’s Latino population grew by nearly 600% between 1990 and 2008.  Latinos now make up eight percent of the state’s population and 14 percent of the state’s under-18 population.  In the project’s target counties of Durham, Wake, and Johnston, Latino students have a dropout rate of over 50 percent—which means they are twice as likely to drop out as other students in the region.  In these three counties, anywhere from 84 to 91 percent of Latinos do not speak English at home.  Administrators, teachers, and guidance counselors often lack cultural and linguistic support systems to effectively serve the Latino population, whose fast emergence in the area has presented them with a new and unfamiliar challenge. 

Nevertheless, the Triangle region offers strong assets to build on.  With 25 institutions of higher education, more educational resources are clustered here than in any other area of the state.  Productive partnerships exist between the region’s community-based organizations, such as the members of the Adelante Coalition, K-12 schools, and universities, offering clear opportunities to create culturally relevant support systems.

Funding Partners

The Triangle for Student Success Program is made possible by a grant from Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis-based private foundation 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.

The Triangle for Latino Student Success program is part of Lumina Foundation’s $7.2 million national initiative to strengthen ventures in key metropolitan areas that show promise in improving the postsecondary attainment of Latino students. Latinos are the fastest-growing student population in the U.S. and in North Carolina. The initiative is providing support to eleven similar partnerships in nine states, all of them bringing together educational institutions, community leaders, businesses, and policymakers to develop cross-cutting, coordinated efforts to increase Latino student success. The array of services supported by the initiative include training in financial literacy, help with K12-to-college transfer and transition issues, and improved developmental courses designed to move students more efficiently toward credit-bearing courses. The other regions receiving funding from Lumina’s initiative are Phoenix, Arizona; Long Beach, California; Santa Ana, California; Miami, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Kentucky; Albuquerque, New Mexico; New York, New York; Memphis, Tennessee; San Antonio, Texas; and Southwest Texas.

HIP and Adelante are seeking additional local and national funding partners to be part of this important work.

Program Partners

The program is a partnership of Hispanics in Philanthropy and the Adelante Coalition, a powerful combination of a national network and deep local knowledge; philanthropic assets and community-based resources; expertise in Latino communities and in education policy; and experience leading both wide-impact collaborations and grassroots coalitions.

Adelante Education Coalition was formed in 2003 to expand educational access for Latino and migrant youth.  The Coalition includes twelve core members and eight advisory members, encompassing a diverse range of Latino community-based organizations, university programs, K-12 programs, a professional society, and policy organizations. Collectively, the members of Adelante provide direct educational services to approximately 4,700 Latino students every year.

A range of educational and community-based organizations will participate in the implementation of the program:

• El Centro Hispano
• NC State  and the Juntos Para Una Mejor Educación program
• North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals
• Student Action with Farmworkers
• K-12 schools throughout the three targeted counties

A group of students and their families celebrate after completion of Juntos Para Una Mejor Educación, a bilingual experiential curriculum that provides youth and their parents with knowledge and tools to gain access to college — a successful model that will reach hundreds of more families as a result of Triangle for Latino Student Success.

HIP and Adelante are also convening a Leadership Council that will include local and national executives and leaders from multiple sectors, including individuals from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, NC State, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, MDC, the North Carolina Justice Center, Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate Program, and others.

Contact Information

For more information on the Triangle for Latino Student Success Program, contact: