Programs that Strengthen Latino Students Success Recognized as 2008 Examples of Excelencia

For the third year, Excelencia in Education collaborated with the National College Access Network (NCAN) to offer a special event, the Celebración de Excelencia, at their annual conference. On September 23, 2008 three programs at institutions of higher education—one in California, Arizona, and Texas—were recognized as the 2008 Examples of Excelencia (examples of excellence) through a national initiative to identify and honor programs and departments at the associates, baccalaureate and graduate levels boosting Latino college enrollment, performance and graduation. "It is particularly important to identify and expand such programs as the Latino proportion of the U.S. population grows. Today's Latino college students will be America's future workforce and leadership" said Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman of CityView and Excelencia in Education Honorary Board Member.

The 2008 Examples of Excelencia are: Bilingual Nursing Fellows Program at South Mountain Community College; Bachelor of Architecture Program at Woodbury University; and Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate School Internship Program in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas.

More than 70 programs were nominated from across the country and assessed through a multi-step selection process led by Excelencia in Education and a group of national experts. In addition to announcing the three programs selected as the 2008 Examples of Excelencia at this special event, 11 programs and departments were semifinalists and 14 others received an honorable mention. More information about these programs and previous Examples of Excelencia may be found on the website.

The Celebración de Excelencia program ended with a surprise announcement of a $1.49 million grant to Excelencia in Education from the Wal-Mart Foundation to launch "Growing What Works", a new national initiative to disseminate the promising practices identified through the Examples of Excelencia. Beginning in the first quarter of 2009, eligible colleges and universities may apply for new Wal-Mart SEMILLAS grants to replicate these proven programs on their campuses. The Spanish word semillas means "seeds" in English and the acronym for the grants to be administered by Excelencia in Education stands for Seeding Educational Models that Impact and
Leverage Latino Academic Success. Watch for more information at www.edexcelencia.org.