Welcome to La Escuelita!
Today, La Escuelita is the premier organization in Minnesota that provides academic support for students of color in a culturally and linguistically appropriate educational setting. Despite the exponential growth of youth of color in our schools, we remain the only minority-led organization serving students of color in Minnesota. Assuring the academic achievement of minority students is pivotal in securing a sustainable and prosperous future for our society. At La Escuelita we believe that in every challenge there is an opportunity, and as we head into our 17th consecutive year of service La Escuelita we look forward to meeting the opportunities that new times will bring along!
Our mission is:
“To achieve educational equity in Minnesota through academic support and advocacy that empowers Latino 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.
In 2008 the agency has experienced an increased demand for our services, has increased the population we serve (180 students, 120 parents, and over 200 community members have attended our programs), has expanded our program offering (adding Teaching the Teachers, Educating Parents of Color, Taking Care of Business, Teaching Technology, and the A Day in My Skin Educational Summit to be held in Fall 2008), has become a leading educational advocacy center (we hosted 7 events focused in closing the achievement gap, reducing the dropout rate, and securing access to higher education for students of color), and have become a leading agency of the Latino Youth Development Collaborative!
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:
-
Bi-lingual MBST and MCA II Reading, Comprehension, Writing and Math courses;
-
One-to-One and Small Group Tutoring for homework completion;
-
Leadership Development;
-
Civic and Social Justice Engagement opportunities;
-
Math and Science for Girls;
-
Cultural Arts in theater, dance, and multi-media with local artists;
-
Technology Programs and Access;
-
College Prep and Campus Visits;
-
Internships with local corporations;
-
Health and Self Care for middle school youth;
-
Pregnancy/STI/HIV Prevention thru Peer Ed for high school youth;
-
Outdoor Recreation and Field Trips;
-
Intensive 5 week Summer Challenge Program; and
-
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 612-721-8026 or
braniolo@laescuelita.org.
