Assessing the LSF Tutoring Program

Our students painting with Vanessa Sierra
 at Orientation on 8/25/2012!

The Latino Student Fund's Tutoring Program provides free support and academic assistance to Washington metropolitan area Latino students to ensure their academic success.  This program is open to Hispanic students in grades PreK-12, from both public and private schools. We offer breakfast and individualized tutoring to support students in a variety of academic subjects.  The tutoring sessions are held at the National Cathedral School on Saturdays during the school year from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Click here to see the program in action!
The Latino Student Fund's Tutoring Program officially began on Saturday, September 8, 2012. We would like to take a moment to share some of the new aspects of the 2012/2013 program, and some insights and questions that have arisen thus far.

What’s working: 
Student assessments provide a benchmark for tutors 
For some time now, students in 1^st through 12^th grade must take two “rounds” of computerized assessment exams in math and reading, one at the beginning of the year to measure their initial level, and one near the end of the year to measure their progress. We use Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Reading and Math Assesments, a Rennaissance Learning product; you can learn more by clicking here.  The STAR Diagnostic Reports provide important information about the students’ performance in math and reading. For example, the Grade Equivalent (GE) score shows us their functional grade level based on their results, and the national Percentile Rank (PR) compares the student's score to a national sample. The reports also predict what the students already know, what they should be working on, and offer tangible objectives for each subject.  

A new policy that we enacted this year is not matching students with tutors until they have taken their first round of mandatory computerized assessment tests.  This increases program accountability, because we ensure without exception that all students are tested (i.e. are following program procedures). This policy also improves the overall quality of the tutoring sessions; the aforementioned data allows our tutors to be more effective and intentional. For example, a couple of weeks ago, Emely's tutor Carla approached us asking for 6^th grade workbooks as opposed to the 5^th grade ones she received on the first day.  Conversely, some students  unfortunately perform well below their actual grade level, especially in reading.  Without their test results, tutors might plan lessons that exceed their current capabilities, which would be confounding and demoralizing for both student and tutor alike. 

Weekly Lesson Plans

To continue building on student progress each week, we have also started collecting weekly lesson plans. We have wanted to do this for a while, and are pleased with the results. We believe that the lesson plans have helped structure the tutoring sessions. The tutors, by default, must be more cognizant of their students’ strengths and weaknesses, and consciously tailor the sessions to meet their needs. We have already seen the positive results of both policies, which seem to supplement one another. Now, all “categories” of students will get the most out of their sessions.

What’s not working so well:
Not enough time, not enough tutors!

We were pleased that the majority of the 130 students registered were able to complete their assessment exams during orientation, which made things a lot easier! However, we have found that one of our greatest difficulties so far has been coordinating times for the students to come in and take the assessment exams.  Unfortunately, most of the parents work during the week, and we have a 9 to 5 office schedule. We have had to turn away several familiar faces because they have not been able to make it in for testing. We care about all of our students and their families and it hurts us think that we are in a sense “denying” them of academic support and upsetting their parents, but we also need to follow procedures. A major question we have been grappling with is: how can we best serve the most people and ensure client satisfaction without compromising our standards or making “special exceptions?”

All things considered, our biggest issue this year has been a lack of Permanent Tutors.  The consequences of this were all too clear on the first day of Tutoring, or “Tutor-Student Match-Up Day” on Saturday, September 8^th. While we developed an improved system to optimize the complex match-up process, we found that the morning was still a bit chaotic, because we simply ran out of tutors! It was hard to look the students and their families in the face and tell them that they do not yet have a tutor, while some of their peers had already been matched. It has also been difficult “waitlisting” other families who really need these services.  The hallmark of the LSF Tutoring Program is individualized tutoring. We have found that the one-on-one relationship throughout the school year (and oftentimes, many school years) yields the best results. Therefore, our goal is for each one of our students to have a consistent, Permanent Tutor, and we just do not have those resources right now, although we have been recruiting heavily! We are so grateful for all of our tutors, who come in by their own volition, giving up their Saturday mornings to improve the lives of children in need.  We just need more!  Two major questions we hope to answer are: what is the best way to recruit more tutors, and how can we motivate them to volunteer consistently despite their hectic schedules? 

If you or anyone you know is interested in tutoring with the Latino Student Fund, please click here to register, and click here to access the 2012/2013 Tutoring Program Calendar. Have any thoughts? Just comment below, we would love to hear your input! 

Until next time!

The Power of Encouragement

We always knew that encouragement was a powerful tool in helping a child succeed academically, but one study, discussed recently on WBEZ Chicago’s radio show This American Life, adds clout to this claim.

In the study, college mentors met with middle school students a few times over the course of a year to pass along the simple message that through hard work, intelligence can be increased.  Education reporter Paul Tough explained that whether or not the theory that intelligence can be improved is accurate, this message gave students optimism and new-found courage to try new things and push themselves harder to do better in school.

 

Tough said that students with “cultural reasons to be anxious about their skills” were especially affected by this message.  Girls in math, for instance, tend to do just as well as boys until they reach middle school.  But due to several factors, girls become “socially anxious” during middle school, and their performance tends to decline.  Among middle school girls who were given this message, however, the gap in achievement between boys and girls closed 100%.

 

A family’s income, the language spoken at home, and many other factors can influence a child’s academic performance.  It is easy for children of certain backgrounds to deduce that they struggle more than other children in school because they are not as smart.  This study proves children can be transformed by the simple message that they have agency over what their minds can do.

 

For more information about what makes children succeed, listen to the entire radio show here.

Victories for Children of Undocumented Immigrants in the Battle to Go to College

For our high school seniors, this school year will involve a lot of difficult decisions.  Where will they go to college?  What will they study? What do they want to do with their futures? 

But for students whose parents do not have legal immigration status, their options are sometimes more limited.  Several states have enacted laws in the past few years banning financial aid and in-state tuition to the children of undocumented immigrants, despite the fact that the students themselves are legal citizens of the United States. 

Without in-state tuition, costs can as much as triple for public higher education institutions.  George Mason University, for instance, charges $9,420 per year in tuition to full-time undergraduate residents of Virginia, while out-of-state undergrads pay around $27,564 a year, according to the GMU website.

For undocumented students, the situation is even bleaker.  According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, just 12 of the 50 states provide paths for undocumented students to receive in-state tuition, and South Carolina and Alabama have banned unauthorized immigrants from public university attendance all together. 

By and large, first-generation immigrant households fall into lower-income categories.  With hefty out-of-state prices and without the opportunity for financial aid, college can be an impossible feat for many families.

A recent federal court ruling gives a reason for hope, however.  The decision threw out Florida’s state regulations that make children of undocumented immigrants ineligible for in-state tuition and financial aid, The New York Times reported. 

According to the article, “Judge K. Michael Moore of Federal District Court in Miami found the regulations unconstitutional because they ‘create a second-tier status of U.S. citizenship,’ by denying benefits to the students in the lawsuit that were freely available to other Americans.”     

Judge Moore was also cited saying that the regulations failed to “advance any legitimate state interest,” while also hindering Florida’s goal of “furthering educational opportunities for its own residents.”

With Florida hosting the third-largest population of unauthorized immigrants, this ruling affects a large number of college-bound students.  A similar decision was also passed recently in New Jersey, home of the fifth-largest undocumented population, that outlaws in-state tuition bans for children of undocumented immigrants on similar grounds. 

Tuition equity bills, which would allow undocumented students the same access to in-state tuition as other residents, have been introduced in several states.  A few states are pushing even farther to provide undocumented students with access to financial aid and scholarships. 

With renewed hope that the DREAM Act will be passed, many are encouraged that the future will hold an education system which favors inclusion and in which all people, through hard work, will have equal access to opportunity.

Low Admission of Black and Latino Students at Area High School Receives Backlash

Anita Kinney points out, first and foremost, that yes, she is a person of color; yes, she has a learning disability; and yes, she was admitted to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) in Fairfax County.  But she also identifies herself as the exception to the rule. 

Kinney was singled out among her mostly white peers at TJ.  “I endured many taunts from students who told me I had only been admitted to the school because I’d ‘played the race card,’” she wrote in her recent Washington Post guest column.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is one of the nation’s top public schools, ranked #2 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.  But the school’s low enrollment of minority and learning-disabled students has long been a topic of debate within the community.

Now, the NAACP and an advocacy group called Coalition of The Silence have filed a 17-page formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, the Washington Post reported.  The article, written by Emma Brown, explains that the complaint identifies not only the low enrollment rate of black, Latino and learning-disabled students, but also points out the “systematic failure” of Fairfax County Schools to recognize students of this demographic as gifted from a young age.

Starting in kindergarten, schools begin to pinpoint certain children as gifted.  But even before kindergarten, children from low-income backgrounds do not have the breadth of resources that privileged children do to prepare them for school.  And as Kinney points out, most underrepresented minority students in Fairfax County do not come from privileged backgrounds. 

Upper-middle class parents may be able to enroll their kids in supplementary education programs, while that may not be an option for lower-income families.  Likewise, wealthier families may be able to spend more time talking and reading to their children, while parents working multiple jobs may not have the time to do the same. 

Research shows, for instance, that low-income children hear an average of eight million fewer words per year than kids from wealthier homes, causing a 30 million word gap in a child’s vocabulary before he or she reaches kindergarten. 

While TJ is not necessarily singularly responsible for failing to identify students of color as gifted, their current admissions process, as Kinney puts it, “does not do enough to remedy educational disparities that minority students face in Fairfax County Public Schools.” 

Their admissions process focuses heavily on test scores, for instance.  However, Kinney explains that upper-middle class students tend to excel at this type of testing, while studies show that the same is not true for less privileged students. 

Brown’s article also points out that one part of the admissions application asks students to “Describe in detail your most important out-of-school or after-school activity or interest.”  The complaint states that, “For many black and Latino students, especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, their most significant after school activity may well be babysitting their younger siblings while their parents work.”    

Brown says that there is no way to know whether the complaint will lead to a federal investigation, but it is a step in the right direction.  If nothing else, the complaint has brought national attention to TJ’s admission procedures and sparked a dialogue within the community. 

“I hope this complaint,” Kinney says, “will compel our community to discuss how TJ’s narrowing focus on supposedly objective measures of performance ultimately compromises its stated mission ‘to foster a culture of innovation based on ethical behavior and the shared interests of humanity.’”

Beating Distractions on Saturday Mornings

One of my greatest difficulties as a student was staying focused.  If I was working on an art project or writing an interesting paper, I could work for hours on end without even noticing time passing.  But as soon as someone started explaining the structure of a chemical compound, my mind was elsewhere. 

Unfortunately, we can’t avoid the subjects and tasks we don’t enjoy.  Even when we are focused, today’s world is filled with distractions.  We are plagued with Twitter, Facebook, text messaging, Pinterest and GChat.  Hardly a minute goes by without an alert, an update or an inbox addition.

In a recent Time article, Laura Schwecherl suggests that this influx of technology has made today's generation more distractible than any prior generation.  Her article, “13 Ways to Beat Distractions and Stay Focused at Work", describes methods to help adults stay on task in the workplace, though LSF students and tutors can benefit from many of her suggestions as well.

The first step is fairly straightforward—Schwecherl suggests to “pinpoint the problem.”  If your tutee is having trouble paying attention, ask him what’s going on.  Maybe he didn’t understand the material.  Maybe he is having problems at home or with other kids at school.  A second-grader may not be able to give you a clear answer to your question, but use clues and other questions to try to piece together the puzzle.  As Schwecherl says, “Figuring out the issue is the first step toward resolving it.”   

 

Michele Lerner and Ingrid Toro (grade 7)

Next, she suggests setting goals for the day.  When you sit down to begin work, ask your student what she needs to accomplish today.  We only have an hour and a half, so make sure that the goals you set are reasonable.  Once you complete a task, let her cross it off the list so that she can chart her progress.

Schwecherl also suggests that breaking big tasks into smaller tasks may make the work seem less daunting.  When you can tell that your student is overwhelmed by a big packet of math problems, try writing down one section at a time.  Have your student cross off each task when it’s finished and don’t try to finish the entire packet in one sitting.  Work on other homework and come back to the packet later in the session or next week.

Give each project a time limit.  If you notice your tutee is getting bored with the math packet, tell him to look at the clock.  Assure him that at 11:30, you will move on to something new.  Or, if it’s a particularly difficult subject and the tutee isn’t enthusiastic from the beginning, set a time goal.  If he works on it for fifteen minutes straight, he won’t have to look at it again until next week.  

Being clean and organized is another important element to staying focus, Schwecherl says.  If your tutee has a messy binder full of old homework and crumpled paper, have him clean it out.  Spend five minutes helping him organize his papers, or bring dividers and help him label different sections.  Also make sure that your student has a planner where he writes down his assignments and their due dates, and check each week to see if he’s updating it regularly.  This will help him stay on top of his homework when you’re not there to remind him.      

Finally, Schwecherl suggests to reward yourself and take breaks.  Luckily, we all play games at the end of the day.  But if your student just can’t sit through an hour and half of tutoring (which can be especially difficult for our youngest students), find out what she likes to do.  If she enjoys doodling or coloring, give her five minutes of drawing time between tasks.  Let her get up and grab a glass of orange juice, or take a walk around the cafeteria.  As the article explains, “Short bursts of hard work followed by quick breaks can be more beneficial than never taking a breather, since the brain may just burn out.” 

Some of Schwecherl’s tips shouldn’t be used on kids.  For instance, she suggests trying caffeine to stay alert.  I don’t recommend giving a six-year-old a cup of coffee.  But many of her pointers are worth trying because they could help you and your student have happier, more productive Saturday mornings.

Behind DCPS Classroom Doors

I often hear tales from Latino Student Fund kids about their classroom environments.

Some of their stories please me—“My teacher said I did the best out of everyone in the class on our science test this week.”

Some scare me—“My friend taught me how to text message in class without getting caught.”

And others (I hope) are slight stretches of the truth—“Last week, one boy in my class was talking, and our teacher banned everyone from recess for the rest of our lives.”

But what is the whole story? As students head back to school in just four short weeks, what kind of classroom will they be stepping into? How attentive is his teacher to his specific needs? Does her teacher find creative and engaging ways to interest her in the material? Does the administration effectively communicate with teachers to help teachers meet their needs and the needs of the classroom?

In a recent Washington Post article, Jay Mathews toys with the question of what would happen if inspections, conducted by third-party experts, were instituted in D.C. Public Schools (DCPS).  The article was sparked by a recent report detailing what happened when professional inspectors were hired to investigate alleged cheating during the 2011 D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System tests. 

These reports revealed some unpleasant and even embarrassing details about the schools in question; however, they also offered an interesting look into classroom environments, teaching practices and administrative effectiveness that non-students and teachers rarely get to see.  If classroom inspections became the norm, report-style evaluations provided by inspectors could give parents (and tutors) a clearer picture of what goes on during a student’s eight-hour school day. This type of report could be particularly valuable when students and parents are on the hunt for a new school. 

While city-wide inspections probably aren’t in D.C.’s near future, Mathews’ article brings to light the lack of clear and comprehensive resources available for evaluating DCPS.  The analysis that is out there, such as Newsweek’s list of the top 1,000 public high schools in the United States, or The Washington Post’s rankings for D.C. public high schools, is primarily based on test scores and graduation rates.  While this type of information is important, it does not tell the whole story. Many factors are at play when students do well or poorly on standardized exams, and some of these factors, such as the number of students with subsidized lunch plans as a measure of poverty in the school, are taken into account in the above rankings. However, a list of numbers does not tell parents how well teachers nurture and encourage their children, how engaged and excited students are to be in the classroom, or how aware the administration is of the problems and successes of their staff.  

In the absence of inspection-style evaluations, we’ll have to be our own investigators. Keeping an ear to the ground for reputations that often precede teachers and schools is one way to do this. Parent-teacher conferences are also important resources to get to know a teacher, see him or her interact with your student and hear about what is going on in the classroom.

And as far as rankings, perhaps the most complete report currently available on D.C. public and public charter schools is the “QualitySchools: Every Child, Every School, Every Neighborhood” (see Appendices B-E.)  Though this report looks mostly at numerical data, it analyzes schools at all levels K-12 and takes into account a number of factors in order to break schools into four tiers, one being the highest performing, and four the lowest.  It also conducts a neighborhood-by-neighborhood analysis to see how well schools are performing in various areas around the city.

Using these resources and keeping an open dialogue with members of the community, including other parents, teachers, and the LSF staff, we can feel more confident and knowledgeable about the environments the students are returning to in the fall and the new schools they will attend in coming years.    

Make This Summer Count!

We at the LSF hope that everyone had a great July 4^th! Since summer is now in full swing, we want to explore constructive ways for our students to spend their summer to increase their opportunities for higher education and professional development.  This, after all, is the LSF’s mission!  We conducted an interview with Ms. Ashley Memory, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at a top university, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for advice. Ms. Memory was more than happy to share her insights to help LSF students!

First and foremost, Ms. Memory encourages students to “use summers to pursue activities of great interest to them, whether it is music, sports, or reading and writing.”  Students should “think about what they learned throughout the academic year and think about how the knowledge they gained will help them grow emotionally and socially.”

Ms. Memory also recognizes that how students use their time is up to them. Some students need to work, while some volunteer.  Whatever the case may be, students should use the summer to accomplish their own goals.  Ms. Memory says “summers are so precious, and applicants work so hard during the school year; summer provides a great opportunity to rest, but students should also give some time to grow outside of classroom.”

I was pleasantly surprised by Ms. Memory’s standpoint on the impact of summer activities on college admissions.  Although there are many, many camps out there, Ms. Memory notes that not all students have access to such programs, and fortunately, “participation would not advantage them in terms of admission” to excellent universities like UNC. 

Ms. Memory says “There is not one particular activity we [college admissions staffs] look at. We get some very strong applicants that continue to amaze and surprise us with what they do.”  Ms. Memory gives me hope when she suggests “Students shouldn’t be afraid to pursue a passion instead of trying to not be true to themselves” in order to seem like the “perfect” candidate.  

Ms. Memory is right: you shouldn’t only do something because of how you will be perceived.  Sometimes choosing an activity just to make yourself “look good” can actually make you look bad, because maybe it just doesn’t suit you.  If you are Student Body President, that’s really great! But if you would gain more from programming computers, writing poetry, playing sports, or serving at an animal shelter, then do that instead!

We gained several insights from Ms. Memory’s comments.  For one, students should play to their own strengths, not anybody else’s.  Each individual has a unique personality, goals, passions, and talents.  How boring the world would be if we were all the same!  We are real people, not action figures, and college admissions staffs recognize that!  Also, it isn’t always what you do that matters, but how you do it, and the impact it has on you. 

Ms. Memory concludes “students travel many roads, and some students stand out for different reasons.”  Students should strive for “academic excellence above all else,” and “beyond that, excellence in other areas, citizenship and character.”  She says what matters most is “intellect, talent, curiosity, kindness.” So students, our advice for you this summer is to do whatever it takes to engage those characteristics in yourselves.

We would like to thank Ms. Memory for her time and contribution to this blog post. UNC Chapel Hill is committed to diversity; Ms. Memory told us that students of color make up 30% of this past year's freshman class, and the Latino student population has been growing steadily over the years. Please click here to learn more about UNC admissions! 
                                      

¡Hasta luego, LSF family!

Breaking News: The Latino Student Fund Receives $25,000 from the Walmart Foundation to Help Reach Their Mission of Combatting High School Dropout Rates within the Latino Community

Donation to help support and expand critical educational programming throughout the District of Columbia

The Latino Student Fund today received a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to assist with their mission of providing educational and developmental opportunities to the Latino community.  The grant – which was awarded through the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program – will work to provide local Latino youth better access to educational opportunities.

“We are extremely grateful for the $25,000 grant.  We are honored that the Walmart Foundation supports our mission and the Tutoring Program. Our work with Latino students in the DC area would not be possible without supporters like Walmart.  Thanks to Walmart, we will be able to reach even more youth and increase our impact. On behalf of the many families that we serve, thank you,” says Latino Student Fund Executive Director Maria Fernanda Borja.

The grant was announced during an event held today at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) Community Garden.  Councilmember Marion Barry, Director of the DC Department of Human Services (DHS) David Berns, THEARC representatives and Walmart officials gathered for the announcement of the local grant recipients.

The Latino Student Fund was founded over a decade ago by community leaders, educators and parents who recognized the need to combat school dropout rates in the Latino community through better access to quality educational opportunities. The organization is committed to serving at-risk youth by providing supplemental educational support, tutoring and mentorship programs.

“The Walmart Foundation is pleased to be supporting The Latino Student Fund’s mission to impact Latino youth through educational programs,” said Henry Jordan, Walmart Senior Vice President of the Eastern Seaboard Division. “We are committed to being a good community partner and through this grant, we are hopeful that Latino youth in the District of Columbia will continue to have the support and encouragement of the Latino Student Fund.”

The contribution to the Latino Student Fund was made possible through the Walmart Foundation’s D.C. State Giving Program. Through this program, the Walmart Foundation supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better. The Walmart Foundation State Giving Program strives to award grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.

Last year in D.C., Walmart, Sam’s Club locations and the Walmart Foundation awarded more than $3.4 million to local organizations committed to addressing the needs of the community.

To be considered for support, perspective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program’s online grant application.  Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria.  Additional information about the program’s funding guidelines and application process are available online at www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving.

About Latino Student Fund
Latino Student Fund (LSF) mission is to provide opportunities for a strong academic foundation for PreK-12th grade students of Hispanic descent to promote higher education and professional leadership.  The LSF Tutoring Program, established in 1998, provides free academic support through individualized tutoring for at-risk and underprivileged Latino students from the Washington, DC metropolitan area in all areas of academic learning. The LSF also provides informational outreach services to students and their families about educational opportunities. To learn more, visit www.latinostudentfund.org. 

About Philanthropy at Walmart

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support initiatives that are helping people live better around the globe. In May 2010, Walmart and its Foundation made a historic pledge of $2 billion through 2015 to fight hunger in the U.S. The Walmart Foundation also supports education, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

2012 Showcase of Scholars a Great Success!

The Latino Student Fund (LSF) annual Showcase of Scholars was held last night, Thursday, June 7, 2012 at the American University Katzen Center from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  The Showcase, held at the end of each academic year, honored the LSF Scholars Program students. The venue was ideal; fittingly, the walls were adorned with PreK-12 student artwork, and the room was decorated beautifully in the LSF colors of black, red and green. During the reception, guests chatted while eating empanadas and other Latin delicacies to their hearts content. Famous radio personalities Alejandro Negron and the beautiful Belen Barriga emceed the event.

Scholars and attendees were able to network with some of Washington’s most influential Hispanic leaders and community supporters: Marta Estarellas (Inter-American Development Bank), Angela Franco (Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), Carl Hairston (M&T Bank), Roxana Olivas (Office on Latino Affairs), Darlene Slaughter (Fannie Mae), Carlos Vasquez (New York Life), and others. The event gave special recognition to LSF’s corporate sponsors: The Bancroft Foundation, Children’s Charities Foundation, FedEx, Freddie Mac Foundation, Mattress Warehouse and Procter & Gamble, and others. These partnerships have been instrumental in providing invaluable support for the LSF Scholars. Joe Martin was presented with the Community Award for his contributions to the LSF as the SAT Preparatory Course instructor since 2010.  

The ceremony left the audience feeling inspired and victorious.  Keynote speaker Mario Acosta-Velez, Director of Mid-Atlantic Region State Government Affairs at Verizon, gave the students practical advice for their future. His recalled past insecurities about being Latino in the US professional world, and overcoming them. He concluded that our background need not limit their opportunities or success, and in fact, we should be proud of our heritage.

Of course, the real stars of the show were the LSF Scholars, who were adorable and impressive. Each student was given a certificate of completion, and select high school students were also presented with special awards, for which they were nominated by their respective schools. Antonio Borckardt, a junior at Bullis School, was given the Academic Achievement Award; Joel Munoz, a senior at Archbishop Carroll School, was given the community service award; Juliet Arcila Rojas, a junior at Randolph Macon Academy, was given the Leadership Award. Graduating seniors Aaron Wong (St. Alban’s School), Ananda Gonzalez and her sister India (Edmund Burke School) were presented with the inaugural Distinguished Scholar award for epitomizing the ideals of the program. As Rosalia Miller, LSF Co-Founder and Board Chair, correctly noted in her closing remarks, “this is all for the kids.” Her passion was infectious, and it is safe to say that most people in the room were overwhelmed with hope for Hispanic/Latino youth.  

Click here to learn more about the Scholar's Program!

Con"grad"ulations, Class of 2012!

I must reference the exhausted cliche that graduating from high school is usually a "bittersweet" time. High school graduates must say goodbye to the past and sources of comfort that they will surely miss. The challenges ahead may at times seem daunting, but ultimately I believe that this critical milestone is far "sweeter" than it is "bitter." With college comes freedom and discovery; new ideas, new challenges, new victories. The transition is exciting; college guides you into adulthood, and more importantly, a step closer to your destiny. On that note, we would like to warmly congratulate our six LSF Senior Scholars. Each senior provided a quote that encapsulates their time in the LSF Scholars Program, and we will let their words speak for themselves. We are so proud of them and wish them "salud y suerte" with all of their endeavors! 

~ ~ ~

Cynthia Alfaro

Academy of the Holy Cross, Class of 2012

Catholic University of America, Class of 2016

“Working with the Latino Student Fund these past years has been wonderful.  I am very thankful what LSF has provided and given me.  They have given me an opportunity to achieve my goals and strive for more.”  

~ ~ ~

Ananda Gonzalez

Edmund Burke School, Class of 2012

Columbia University, Class of 2016

“The Latino Student Fund has greatly aided me in my academic career by allowing me to attend some of the best schools in DC, and encouraging me to always achieve academic excellence.” It has been a pleasure to meet and be surrounded by other Latinos in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area who are as driven as I am. The Latino Student Fund has taught me to dream without boundaries, because it is the dreamers of today who become the leaders of tomorrow.” 

~ ~ ~

India Gonzalez

Edmund Burke School, Class of 2012

Columbia University, Class of 2016

“Latino Student Fund has provided me with the money needed to attend a school where I am challenged every day, and get individual attention from my teachers. Because of Latino Student Fund, I have been given the opportunity to achieve nothing less than excellence; I am encouraged to dream big, and persevere against all odds.”

~ ~ ~

Joel Muñoz

Archbishop Carroll School, Class of 2012

Long Island University, Class of 2016

“Without my mother’s care and nourishment, I would be a tumbleweed in the field. Thankfully Latino Student Fund has been able to provide financial help and mentorship, which has been completely life changing.”  

~ ~ ~

Alexis Rudolph

Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Class of 2012

Goucher College, Class of 2016

“My experience with LSF over the past five years has been fantastic. I'm grateful for all the opportunities that have been provided to me and I can only hope to one day make a difference in people's lives the way LSF has made a difference in mine.”

~ ~ ~

Aaron Wong

St. Alban's School, Class of 2012

Stanford University, Class of 2016

“The Latino Student Fund has enabled me to embark on an intellectual journey of academics and life wisdom…Without the LSF, I would not be where I am today.”

~ ~ ~
Please check out the senior video! 

High-tech vs. no-tech... Which is best?

Sitting down on Sunday morning to read the Washington Post I was pleased to see an education issue made the front page. The article delves into the differences between two schools that I have worked with during my time at Latino Student Fund, Flint Hill School and Washington Waldorf School. The schools take dramatically different approaches to classroom instruction and the use of technology during class time. As a former teacher, I can speak first hand about the convenience of a "connected" classroom. Video and audio clips can support different learning styles. Resources become endless, almost overwhelming, and teachers can select materials that specifically address the needs of their students. While teaching content-based English in rural Mexico, the internet was my greatest resource. The school's limited English materials often left me with limited options for scaffolding lessons, an absolute necessity for an English as a Second Language instructor.

With that said, the spotty internet connection often forced me and my students to take a more traditional approach. I couldn't always depend on technology to pull me through with a lesson plan. As the article insinuates, kids get bored when they are expected to do the same activity for an extended period of time. Switching things up is vital to classroom management, student engagement, and consequently, student learning. In hindsight, limited access to technology made my lessons more creative, more group focused, and more student-centered. I'm not sure which approach to technology is more effective to student learning and development in the world today. I am a strong believer that every child has their own learner profile and will respond to instruction styles in different ways. Ultimately, a parent should know their child well enough to make the call when deciding which school's philosophy will best meet their child's learning needs. There is a strong case for why building a foundation of knowledge in technology is relevant and useful in the world today. But... I'm still grateful for the hands-on (real paint, muddy mud, squirming bugs) experience that I had as a student. What's your opinion? I encourage you to read the Washington Post article and weigh in.

Thanks for Reading the LSF Perspectives Blog!

Welcome to the LSF Perspectives blog! We are excited to share what's been going on at the Latino Student Fund. We are proud to serve Latino families around the Washington, DC through our four primary educational programs. Here is an overview of our programs.

Saturday Morning Tutoring Program

The LSF Tutoring Program was established in 1998. It provides free academic support through individualized tutoring for Latino students from the Washington, DC Metropolitan area in all areas of academic learning. Each student is tutored individually with a tutor who will ideally work with them throughout the school year. For parents and family members of students enrolled in the Tutoring Program the LSF offers two levels of ESL classes.

Scholars Program

The LSF provides financial aid and education-related support through our Scholars Program. For the upcoming academic year, the LSF will support over 90 students in grades PreK-12, representing over $100,000 in supplemental financial support. The Scholars Program includes mentoring, workshops on higher education, and support for students and their families. The small stipends that we provide are supplemented by a series of workshops designed for family networking and to prepare students and their families for the future. Though our stipends are small, they are often the ‘make or break’ money for parents to be able to enroll their children in private or parochial school and frequently cover such additional expenses as books, activity fees, and uniforms.

Access Program: Independent & Parochial School Admissions 

The Latino Student Fund is dedicated to empowering Latino families as they explore their children’s PreK-12th grade educational options. We are committed to working with independent and parochial schools throughout the DC Metro area to provide a foundation of knowledge about the application process, financial aid and school program offerings so that families are able to make the most informed decision about how and where to send their children to school. The Access program will address the needs of Latino families interested in Independent & Parochial education with guidance in topics such as application assistance, interview basics, student entrance testing and general counseling.

LISTO College Preparation Program/SAT Prep Courses

“LISTO: A College Prep Course for Latino High School Students” is a new program of the Latino Student Fund that was developed in response to increasing educational needs for our fastest growing demographic that has the greatest lag in high school and college completion rates. Today, the college-going rate for Latino high school graduates is 37% and around half of Hispanics enrolled in college are the first in their family to pursue higher education. Financial aid and scholarships are crucial for many Latino students, but on average, they receive lower amounts of aid of compared to any other racial or ethnic group. LISTO seeks to remove common barriers to higher education by increasing college readiness and helping Latino students and their families navigate the complex college admission and financial aid process.

To find out more about these and other LSF program offerings and events, visit us at www.latinostudentfund.org. Be sure to check back often to see what's going on. Thanks for reading LSF Perspectives!