In 2011 the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley (HFSV) published the first Silicon Valley Latino Report Card to better understand Latinos’ livelihood in Silicon Valley. The report results provided substantial data, analysis, and comparisons about the challenges Latinos face every day and sharpened HFSV’s mission to improve the quality of life for Latinos in Silicon Valley through education.

In early 2014, HFSV went into Latino neighborhoods and asked families to participate in a survey, a project that generated over 2,000 responses. The result of this was the Voices of Change report published in late 2014. The report indicated that 40% of the participants place education as the most important challenge, and increasing youth programs to prevent student dropouts is the solution.

In 2016, the Hispanic Foundation College Success Program Initiative (HFSCPI) was designed for Latinx youth and parents to increase educational opportunities. Our HFCSPI is a one-stop hub that encapsulates our “cradle to career” course of action that empowers elementary school, middle school, high school, college students, and their parents to excel through education efforts and understand the importance of a college education. The HFCSPI helps students and parents obtain information on college access, advice, guidance, workshops, and online resources.

Our program is run by two full-time HFSV staff and an intern from Santa Clara University. Melissa Canela, Education Programs Manager, joined the team in March of 2020 and is responsible for overseeing the HFCSPI and building community partnerships. Karla Mondragon became Education Programs Coordinator in January 2021. In her role, Karla handles program logistics and partner collaborations with current and new programs. Carolyn Valencia joined the team as the Education Programs Intern in October of 2020. She brought a new level of charisma and analytical skills to the team with her educational background in Finance.