Excelencia in Education Announces Finalists to Elevate What Works for Latino Student Success

Contact: Media@EdExcelencia.org

20 Programs Receive National Recognition for Positive Impact on Latino College Students

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 17, 2022) – Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education, announced today 20 evidence-based programs across the U.S. as finalists for the 2022 Examples of Excelencia.

Examples of Excelencia was created in 2005 and is the country’s only national effort to identify, aggregate and promote evidence-based practices improving Latino student success in higher education. As leaders seek where to invest time and resources in what works for Latino students, these 20 programs demonstrate that it is possible to develop asset-based, culturally responsive practices that can improve success for Latino and other post-traditional students.

“Excelencia is answering the national call to identify and invest in evidence-based practices that improve college completion,” said Deborah Santiago, CEO of Excelencia in Education. “These 20 programs are evidence-based exemplars led by practitioners working directly with students and community that go beyond enrollment to intentionally serve students on their journey to degree completion.”

This year, Excelencia received 93 program submissions representing 17 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The 20 finalists will be featured online as well as in Excelencia’s Growing What Works Database—the only national online, searchable database for institutional leaders, funders, and policymakers interested in identifying what works for Latino students.

On September 29, 2022, four of the 20 finalists will be announced as the 2022 Examples of Excelencia and recognized at the annual Celebración de Excelencia. The national announcement of these four programs will be made in Washington, D.C. at the Mayflower Hotel and livestreamed online.

“Excelencia increases national awareness of efforts effectively engaging the growing Latino student population,” said Sarita Brown, President of Excelencia in Education. “We are relentless, as are these program leaders, in promoting the benefits to institutions and this country of intentionally serving Latino and other post-traditional students.”

The 2022 Examples of Excelencia finalists are:

ASSOCIATE LEVEL:

• Connect4Success at Miami Dade College - Miami, FL
• Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program at County College of Morris - Randolph, NJ
• Engineering Program at Wright College (EPW) at Wilbur Wright College, City Colleges of Chicago - Chicago, IL
• Latino Promise and HACER Programs at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Teaneck, NJ
• Title III: Leadership, Excellence and Academic Preparation in STEM (LEAPS) Program at Laredo College - Laredo, TX

BACCALAUREATE LEVEL:

• ASU College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) Scholars at School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ
• Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences at Rush University - Chicago, IL
• College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Washington State University - Pullman, WA
• Institute of Interdisciplinary Research at University of Puerto Rico, Cayey - Cayey, PR
• Preparing Underrepresented Educators to Realize their Teaching Ambitions (PUERTA) at Sonoma State University - Rohnert Park, CA
• Supera Spanish Speaking Program at Kean University - Union, NJ

GRADUATE LEVEL:

• Inter-University Program for Latino Research/University of Illinois-Chicago Mellon Fellows Program at University of Illinois, Chicago - Chicago, IL
• Knowledge River Program at the School of Information, University of Arizona - Tucson, AZ
• Master of Science (MS) in Environmental Science at The University of Texas at San Antonio - San Antonio, TX
• Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at The University of Texas at San Antonio - San Antonio, TX
• Project upGRADS: Utilizing & Promoting Graduate Resources & Access for Disadvantaged Students at California State University, Fullerton - Fullerton, CA

COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS:

• Career & Life Skills (CLS) at The Next Step Public Charter School - Washington, DC
• College & Career Success at Breakthrough Central Texas - Austin, TX
• Post-Secondary Initiatives at Esperanza, Inc. - Cleveland, OH
• TuFuturo at the Community Education Coalition - Columbus, IN  

Every year, Examples of Excelencia begins with a national call for nominations encouraging individuals and programs to share initiatives accelerating Latino student success in higher education. Excelencia in Education reviews all program profiles of those intentionally serving Latino students and, this year, identified 20 finalists using rigorous criteria. Finalists identified in each of four categories—associate, baccalaureate, graduate, and community-based organizations—are presented to a national selection committee composed of higher education leaders, grant makers, and stakeholders. The committee assesses the strength of innovative, intentional, culturally relevant, and effective practices tailored to Latino students and their communities to select the four Examples of Excelencia.

This year, Excelencia in Education also recognizes 10 Programs to Watch from 4 states. They are up-and-coming programs, have positively impacted the success of their Latino students, and are growing their evidence of effectiveness. To learn more about these 10 programs visit www.edexcelencia.org/programs-to-watch.

About Excelencia in Education
Excelencia in Education accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies, and advancing institutional practices while collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission. Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia has established a network of results-oriented educators and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders. For more information, visit: EdExcelencia.org 

Examples of Excelencia expands on the legacy of work first began in 1999 by its two visionary leaders, Deborah Santiago and Sarita Brown. Since 2005, Excelencia in Education has received over 1,900 program submissions; recognized over 385 programs for their impact in accelerating Latino student success; and raised and awarded over $2 million to the programs making a difference for Latino students to support their sustainability and expansion.

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