Message from President and CEO: Ron Gonzales
July was another busy month at the Hispanic Foundation. A couple of weeks ago, I connected with Roger Crockett, VP of Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Western Digital, and Rinki Sethi, VP and Chief Information Security Officer at Rubrik for a candid discussion about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As a collective, we can drive change much faster but it requires efforts from all of us. To view the full discussion click here. Along those lines, I am really excited about the Latinx Speaker Series next week and to continue the conversation on Latinx leadership in all sectors of the economy.
I am also very proud of our program staff Melissa Canela and Lisa Dominguez who have put together excellent virtual math, college prep and parent education summer programming for our middle school and high school families. See more below.
Latinx Speaker Series
We are excited to be working with a panel of four Latinx Venture Capitalist. On Wednesday, August 5th we’ll be pulling back the curtains and exploring what it’s like to be in their world. Whether you are a curious community member, an entrepreneur in search of funding, or an industry expert, we are coming together to celebrate the success of our Latinx community in Silicon Valley. To view full panel click here. To purchase tickets now click here.
Latinos in Technology Initiative
Congratulations to the 63 Latinos in Technology Scholarship recipients who graduated from college this month. They, as well as current scholars, are looking for mentors. Our Conexiones Program offers the Latinos In Technology Scholarship recipients an opportunity to partner with a Latinx professional in Silicon Valley. During this five-month volunteer program, focused on leadership and professional development skills, a mentor may share with a scholar information about their own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling. To volunteer and learn more click here. To meet some of our scholars click here.
Hispanic Foundation College Success Center
The Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley congratulates 60 parents for their continuous efforts to support their children! 20 amazing KIPP parents graduated from Level II of the Parent Institute for Quality Education parent engagement curriculum. These parents have completed 16 rigorous weeks of Zoom courses where they discussed many topics focused on parent engagement, advocacy in school, and how to support their child’s future college education. In addition, 40 parents from Downtown College Prep Parent Network completed the Family Engagement Institute, Foothill College’s “Supporting Distance Learning in Time of COVID-19” workshops.
Common Core Math
Elevate [Math] is a summer intervention program designed to elevate student achievement in math. This program front-loads curriculum designed to align with students’ next year Common Core math classes. By providing a summer program focused on building both math skills and student confidence, Elevate [Math] helps prepare more students for success in college and careers. We are excited to continue our partnership with Silicon Valley Education Foundation, in particular this year where we expect the summer learning loss to be deeper due to the COVID19 pandemic. Currently, the Elevate [Math] program is at four different schools in Silicon Valley.
College Prep
We are thrilled to have launched Quetzal Mama’s College Essay Writing Bootcamp on July 8th! 48 students tuned in to session 1 where Dr. Roxanne Ocampo discussed personal insight questions (PIQ) prompts, the importance of self-reflection, and insights on the college admissions application process. Moreover, 25 high school sophomores are participating in UC Scout Summer Biology Courses. UC Scout courses help students satisfy the A-G subject requirements to meet the University of California and California State University admission requirements!
Latino Board Leadership Academy
On July 1st, 30 Latinx professionals graduated from class XVI of the Latino Board Leadership Academy (LBLA). They join a network of over 400 LBLA’ers, adding to a powerful community of Latinx leadership. Have you considered being part of LBLA and joining a network of Latinx professionals in Silicon Valley? It’s never too early to inquire about our 2021 cohorts. To learn more about LBLA click here.
The Hispanic Foundation Ball is more than just a party. The Ball not only brings together the Hispanic community of Silicon Valley to convene and engage, but funds raised at the Ball account for over 20% of our revenue and support all of our programs. Please email Clara Roa at clara@hfsv.org to learn how you can be a supporter this year. Special thanks to those who have committed to support our organization this year:
