By Claire Lindsey, Journalism Intern
Earlier this month, the Latino Community Center (LCC) was awarded a $16,500 grant from UnidosUS. The award will be used to grow the Avanzado Through College grant program in Allegheny County. This program aims to empower and support Latino youth to achieve their professional and academic goals while supporting them through their personal and educational development.
The LCC has established several college and career readiness programs, and the grant will only develop these programs further. They will be offering the Avanzado Through College curriculum to 20 students during the 2021-22 school year. Frequent and personalized check-ins with the LCC staff, informative workshops, and financial incentives will be available to the students in the cohort.
The goal for the program is to improve the college graduation rates of Latino youth by fostering a supportive and culturally inclusive learning environment for first-year, second-year, transfer, and/or community college students. With such support systems and resources in place, students will be able to focus on their education and opportunities that could change the course of their lives.
The LCC is honored to accept the award. Only 7 new UnidosUS affiliates in the nation received the grant, making this an enormous achievement for Western Pennsylvania.
Ensuring that Latinx youth feel supported and encouraged to finish their college education and pursue their career goals is a key focus of our college and career readiness programming,” said Rosamaria Cristello, the Executive Director of the LCC. “We are excited to bring this curriculum to our region and offer these incentives to Latinx students in our community.”
The Latino Community Center’s Education team will be offering the Avanzado Through College program to Latinx youth pursuing post-secondary education. Students that are interested should call the LCC at 412-335-7446. For more information on the program, visit the LCC’s website.
