Athens, Ga.– The University of Georgia has received a $4 million grant from The Goizueta Foundation of Atlanta to continue providing programs that enhance educational opportunities for Hispanic students in Georgia.
This is the second time in four years The Goizueta Foundation has given UGA a major grant for educational programming that primarily benefits Latino children and young people in Georgia. In 2002, UGA received $3.5 million from The Goizueta Foundation to launch a major initiative to improve education for Hispanic students in the state.
The new grant, awarded through UGA’s Arch Foundation, will expand several programs started by the 2002 grant. They include scholarship programs for undergraduate and graduate students, and the work of a center that helps schools, teachers and parents improve the academic success of Hispanic children in grades K-12.
The new grant will also start a new program called the Latino Pipeline Initiative that will try to impress on Hispanic students in middle and high schools the importance of graduating from high school and enrolling in college, and help prepare them to do so.
“The University of Georgia is honored to continue to partner with The Goizueta Foundation to foster a multicultural society that opens doors of opportunity to everyone in Georgia,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “We are grateful for The Goizueta Foundation’s confidence, as evidenced by this grant, in UGA’s ability to provide resources that will help Hispanic students and all young people in Georgia attain education and skills to ensure a bright and successful future.”
Both of The Goizueta Foundation’s grants support UGA’s Latino Initiative, an effort started in 2001 to use the university’s expertise and resources to provide instruction, training and other assistance for Georgia’s booming Hispanic population. Estimates are that more than 600,000 Hispanics live in Georgia–nearly seven percent of the state’s population. Georgia’s Hispanic growth is among the fastest in the nation.
“We are delighted with the support and investment by The Goizueta Foundation in our Latino Initiative,” said Art Dunning, UGA’s vice president for public service and outreach, who oversees the initiative. “These resources will allow us to ensure that we are able to sustain and strengthen our commitment to this rapidly growing population in Georgia.”
Arnett C. Mace Jr., UGA’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, said The Goizueta Foundation’s support “will significantly enhance academic programs at UGA by increasing the understanding and appreciation of views and values of Latino students and graduates that are prevalent in today’s domestic and international work force and society.”
UGA will use the new grant from The Goizueta Foundation for three primary purposes:
– To increase financial assistance provided through The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund, which gives need-based scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. UGA is making concerted efforts to recruit Hispanic students in Georgia and enrollment has climbed at both the undergraduate and graduate levels since the scholarship program started.
– To expand the work of the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE). The center, housed in UGA’s College of Education, provides professional development training and resources to help teachers, administrators, staff members and parents better educate Latino K-12 students in Georgia.
– To start the Latino Pipeline Initiative, an effort to reach Latino students as early as seventh grade with the message that college is vital to their future. The initiative, which will be operated through UGA’s public service and outreach program, includes two programs that bring Latino students to UGA for educational and leadership activities.
The Latino Youth Leadership Program will bring high school students to campus for sessions that span several days. A new program called “UGA days” will bring middle school students to the university for a one-day visit. Both programs also involve students’ parents. The programs are targeted at eight counties with schools that have high numbers of Latino students.
CLASE was created under the first grant from The Goizueta Foundation and has worked with 36 teams of teachers and administrators in Georgia schools and more than 700 teachers in its first three years.
“Our Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education has already had a significant impact on schools with large numbers of Latino students, and this new funding will enable us to continue to affect the lives of Georgia’s Latino children,” said Louis Castenell, dean of the College of Education.
Many of the graduate students who receive scholarships through The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund work in CLASE, helping staff provide training and assistance to schools and offering guidance to teachers, counselors, administrators and staff on best practices for teaching Latino students.
Roberto C. Goizueta established The Goizueta Foundation in 1992 to provide financial assistance to educational and charitable institutions. Goizueta was chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Co. until his death in 1997. The foundation’s primary focus is to assist organizations that empower individuals and families through educational opportunities to improve the quality of their lives.
