PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012
11:00am
NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER – SALON ORTEGA
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – At 11 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012, the University of New Mexico and partners will hold a Press Conference at the National Hispanic Cultural Center - Salon Ortega to announce Albuquerque, New Mexico as one of fourteen sites in eleven states nationwide selected as a recipient of the Lumina Latino Student Success Grant in the amount of $600,000 in support of the Unidos Project.
The University of New Mexico Unidos Project is built around a “no wrong gate” approach that allows students to flow freely through our educational system, with appropriate support and direction to remain on course, and with minimal barriers to impede their movement. By creating a culture of collaboration across numerous entities, the overall goal of the Unidos Project is to produce 55,000 post-secondary degrees and credentials for Latinos in Bernalillo County by the year 2025, by increasing Latino high school graduation rates, enrolling more Latinos in postsecondary education, and graduating more Latinos from our institutions of higher education.
CONFIRMED ATTENDEES INCLUDE:
· U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico
· Rick Miera, State Representative
· Mayor Richard Berry, City of Albuquerque (pending confirmation)
· APS Board Members Analee Maestas and Lorenzo Garcia
· City Councilor Ken Sanchez
· Provost Chaouki Abdallah, University of New Mexico
· Adrian Pedroza, Commissioner, President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics
· Phil Bustos, Central New Mexico Community College
· Jozi De Leon, University of New Mexico
· Alex O. Romero, CEO & President, Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce
The Unidos partners include representatives from six key sectors: Albuquerque Public Schools (K-12 education), the University of New Mexico (higher education), Central New Mexico Community College (higher education), the Center for Education Policy Research (higher education), El Centro de la Raza (higher education), the College Board (higher education), Youth Development, Inc. (community-based organization), the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce (employers), ENLACE (community-based and Latino-serving organizations), Innovate+Educate (employers), the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Community Schools Partnership (policy leadership), and State Representative/NM House Education Committee Chairman Rick Miera (policy leadership).
Media Contact:
Lorena Blanco-Silva
Unidos Project Facilitator
lblanco@unm.edu
505-277-1238 – phone
505-227-0777 – cell