“CAREERS FOR THE FUTURE” EDUCATION PROGRAM:

Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States.  In Indiana alone, there was an increase of 117% in the Latino population between 1990 and 2000. In more recent years, Indiana has continued to experience a constant growth in the number of Latinos. Despite the increase in the overall Latino population, we have not seen comparable increases in their representation in higher education. The Center for Urban Policy and the Environment (2006) reported that at the local 4-year colleges in Indianapolis (University of Indianapolis, IUPUI, Marian College, and Butler University) only 2% of the undergraduate students were Latinos in 2005. Moreover, in Marion County in 2000, almost half of Latino males and 42% of Latina females over 25 years of age did not have a high school diploma.


In order to deal with the underrepresentation of Latinos in higher education, we must set high expectations and provide creative and culturally appropriate programming. The Indiana Latino Institute, Inc. (ILI) has created an education initiative, “Careers for the Future” (Carreras Para el Futuro) for Latino high school students and their families to increase accessibility to higher education. This program provides opportunities for students and parents to familiarize themselves with the requirements for entering higher education and makes available the resources necessary for gaining the knowledge, skills, and comfort to better navigate the educational system.

In collaboration with various funders, ILI has developed a program through which Latino students and parents 1) learn about higher education opportunities through educational fairs, 2) experience working in fields that require higher education through internships, and 3) access higher education through scholarships. The target population for this program is Latino students in the 11th & 12th grade, college freshmen, and sophomores in the state of Indiana.

EDUCATION FAIRS      INTERNSHIPS      SCHOLARSHIPS      WORKSHOPS