Welcome to La Escuelita!
Our Dia de los Niños week was an outstanding success! Over 450 people came to La Escuelita and over 150 youth participated in the week long event. The fist DDLN Cup went to the students in penalty kicks! Our sincerest thanks to our sponsors: General Mills, Boston Scientific, Best Buy, Target, US Bank, and Carlson Companies. It is because of your support that we can continue to serve our community with pride and love, see you next year!
La Escuelita is a non-profit ALC/SES after school and summer
program focused solely on academic enrichment and leadership development for
Latino immigrant and non-immigrant youth currently enrolled in grades 6-12
in Minneapolis schools. We provide programming in a culturally and
linguistically appropriate environment that engages, educates and empowers
youth and their families to succeed! At La Escuelita we nurture and promote
the many different cultural and linguistic traditions and assets our Latino
youth bring to our site recognizing that they enrich and add to our
community as a whole.
La Escuelita's description
La Escuelita (Spanish for "little school") was founded in 1991 as a result
of the collaboration between Chicanos Latinos Unidos en Servicio (CLUES) and
Minneapolis Public School District teachers. In 1998 La Escuelita was
granted its non profit status 501(c)(3) and became an independent youth
development organization that began to build its own administrative
structure. Today, La Escuelita is the premier organization in Minnesota that
provides academic support for Hispanic students in a culturally and
linguistically appropriate educational setting.
La Escuelita's mission and goals
La Escuelita's mission is: "To achieve educational equity in Minnesota
through academic support and advocacy that empowers Hispanic youth and their
families".
We articulate our mission through these goals:
Goal 1: To reduce the dropout rate among Hispanic students in Minnesota.
Goal 2: To close the Hispanic Achievement Gap in Minnesota.
La Escuelita's accomplishments
La Escuelita serves Hispanic students currently enrolled in middle and high
schools in the Minneapolis Public School District in grades 6th -12th. La
Escuelita's commitment is to continue providing high quality academic and
culturally adequate support services to Hispanic students. In 2007 we served
157 Hispanic students in grades 6 to 12 and 92 parents. In 2008 we expect to
serve at least 200 Hispanic students and 100 parents. Last year every one of
the youth we served remained in school, passed on to the next grade level
with academic gains, and all of the seniors graduated and are now attending
college with scholarships!
La Escuelita's services are 100% free of charge. The only support we ask
from our youth’s families is to assist their youth's academic success
through encouragement and engagement.
Program services include:
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Bi-lingual MBST and MCA II Reading, Comprehension,
Writing and Math courses;
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One-to-One and Small Group Tutoring for homework
completion;
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Leadership Development;
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Civic and Social Justice Engagement opportunities,
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Math and Science for Girls
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Cultural Arts in theater, dance, and multi-media with
local artists;
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Technology Programs and Access;
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College Prep and Campus Visits;
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Internships with local corporations;
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Health and Self Care for middle school youth;
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Pregnancy/STI/HIV Prevention thru Peer Ed for high
school youth;
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Outdoor Recreation and Field Trips;
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Intensive 5 week Summer Challenge Program; and
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Education and Healthy Parenting Workshops for parents
If you are a parent or teacher and are interested in your student attending
La Escuelita, we encourage you to click on the appropriate links to find
more detailed information about programs, policies, and download the student
application form. If you wish to speak directly to someone about recruitment
at your school or about your child's specific needs, please contact our
Program Director, Blanca Raniolo, directly at 612-870-7056 or
Blanca Raniolo
Thank you for considering La Escuelita!
