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Partners in Hispanic Education Host Educational Fair for
El Paso, TX / Las Cruces, NM Communities

WASHINGTON, DC - On Saturday, April 24, 2004, the Partners in Hispanic Education, consisting of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, U.S. Department of Education and some of the nation's leading Hispanic organizations, corporate leaders, and national private entities, will convene to host the sixth of seven nationwide education outreach events for Hispanic American families.

The day-long "Feria Educativa" kicks off at 8:30 AM in Magoffin Auditorium located on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso. The event's agenda, organized by MANA, A National Latina Organization, Girl Scouts of the USA and State Farm will bring together students, parents, superintendents, principals, teachers, policy makers and concerned community members to discuss ways to improve Latino student achievement and increase their enrollment in college.

"I believe that we all have a stake in the education of our children - parents, families, businesses and entire communities like El Paso and Las Cruces," said Adam Chavarria, Executive Director of the White House Initiative. "No Child Left Behind provides the platform that enables us to work together to ensure that all Hispanic children receive the high quality education they deserve."

The educational fair is designed to empower the Latino community by equipping families with the educational tools and informational resources afforded under No Child Left Behind and to assist them in becoming stronger advocates for their children's education--from early childhood to college completion. An issues panel of experts from the U. S. Department of Education and local educators will also come together to discuss the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Panel presentations and workshops will be provided in English and Spanish. A Youth Strand for students is also being planned. We encourage community members, businesses and organizations who work with Latino families to join us on this day to find ways to work together to help our Latino students be successful in school and to attain a college education. The fair is free to the community. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

"As a founding partner, State Farm has been an active supporter in furthering the objectives of the White House Initiative Partners in Hispanic Education. As a lead partner in the Feria in El Paso-Las Cruces area it is our opportunity to put this initiative into practice," stated Mark Espinoza, Corporate Relations Manager for State Farm. "State Farm believes that the most effective way for all of us to reach the goal of improved student achievement for all children is for the education, business, legislative, and local communities to work together. That is why we are proud to be part of this historic collaboration."

Partnership participants have committed to hosting a total of seven programs through June 2004. Each involves a series of events including town hall meetings, a seminar on student financial aid and scholarships, and educational workshops for parents, students, educators and business and community leaders. The last pilot city event is slated to take place on June 5, 2004 in Detroit, Mich.

The Partners in Hispanic Education members include the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans; MANA, A National Latina Organization; Girl Scouts of the USA; State Farm; National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP); United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USHCC Foundation); National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP); U.S. Department of Education; Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU); U.S. Army; Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA); Cuban American National Council (CNC); Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (CREO); Hispanic College Fund (HCF); National Society of Hispanic MBA's (NSHMBA); College for Texans Campaign, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; El Valor and the Mexican Institute of Greater Houston.

Local partners for this event include the University of Texas-El Paso, Time Warner Cable, Girl Scouts of the Rio Grande, Communities in Schools of El Paso, State of Texas Region XIX Education Service Center, El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, KCOS 13 (PBS), Boys and Girls Clubs of El Paso and the Canutillo School District.

Media interested in attending should contact Erica Martinez at UTEP, 915-747-5085 or on the day of the event, David Almacy with the White House Initiative, 202-549-7094 cell.

To learn more about No Child Left Behind, visit the U.S. Department of Education web site at www.ed.gov/nclb and the Web site for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans located at www.yesican.gov and www.yosipuedo.gov.

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Program for El Paso, TX / Las Cruces, NM - April 24, 2004

Albuquerque, NM - March 19 & 20, 2004

Tucson, AZ - March 5 & 6, 2004

Bronx, NY - Feb. 6 & 7, 2004

Miami, FL - Dec. 5 & 6, 2003

San Diego, CA - Nov. 21 & 22, 2003

Overview: Partners in Hispanic Education