Contact:

Karen Sanchez-Griego, (505) 277-5481 Elisa Sanchez, (505) 646-7927

Feb. 1, 2002

ENLACE CELEBRATES SEVEN MONTHS OF SUCCESS ON FEB. 6

ENLACE New Mexico--a statewide collaborative that includes the state's higher education institutions, public schools, local communities, the business sector, Hispanic students and their parents--wants to share some good news with the New Mexico State Legislature at a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 6, at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.

Representatives from ENLACE (Engaging Latino Communities for Education) collaboratives based at New Mexico State University, the University of New Mexico and Santa Fe Community College will tell legislators how the program is working to increase the number of Hispanic students earning high school diplomas and college degrees.

ENLACE Day activities begin at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 6 and will include exhibits in the East Hall of History at the Roundhouse. In addition, ENLACE students from around the state, and their parents in some cases, will talk about how ENLACE has helped them succeed in school. Among university officials expected to participate are UNM Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Eliseo Torres; UNM Executive Affairs Officer Dr. Ricardo Maestas; NMSU Vice President for Student Services and Dean of Students Dr. Juan Franco, NMSU, and others.

The goal of ENLACE, funded through a four-year W.K. Kellogg Foundation initiative, is to create and support a seamless K-16 educational system in New Mexico that is more responsive, accountable, accessible and supportive of Latino/a students' educational success. The ENLACE collaboratives are made up of K-16 schools, parents, students, business, government officials and community groups. ENLACE program components across the state include mentoring, tutoring, curriculum development, parent involvement and training and leadership conferences, among others.

"Hispanic students are failing at an alarming rate and this results in a financial cost to the individual in lost wages. It is also disastrous to families who are trapped in poverty and is a detriment to the community in terms of loss of revenue due to the high incidence of low-wage earners," said Elisa Sanchez, ENLACE southern project director.

"Statistics show that New Mexico's Hispanic students drop out at a rate of 45 percent. This should be unacceptable to all of us. The overall goal of ENLACE New Mexico is to increase the graduation rates of Hispanic/Latino students with an emphasis on eliminating the achievement gap," adds Karen Sanchez-Griego, lead manager for ENLACE New Mexico.

Also, of specific interest is the Framework for Success, which lists the characteristics of schools, districts and states that are decreasing the achievement gap for Latino students. "It will result in a five-year plan of action which will guide the policy work of the collaborative at the state and national levels," she said.

Nationally, 13 partnerships are part of the ENLACE Initiative--a six-year, $28 million effort funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Houston Endowment Inc.--to strengthen the K-16 education pathway. "New Mexico is the only state collaborative in the Kellogg initiative - a testament to the collaborative partners and their commitment to transform the education system in New Mexico to one in which all children succeed," said Ron Martinez, ENLACE northern project director.

ENLACE is derived from the Spanish word "enlazar," meaning to link or weave together, to connect in such a way that the new entity is stronger than its parts. The initiative's guiding principal is that community-based partnerships are the foundation upon which lifelong learning and achievement are built.

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The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981