The National Eye Institute has launched the Eye on the Future campaign to encourage teens to pursue careers in science, specifically eye health and biomedical research. The campaign is kicking off with a video contest! For the video contest, open to teens nationally, high school students can submit 30-second-to-3-minute videos on several science-related categories, such as their favorite scientific discovery or the impact they'd like to make in the science world in 20 years. Students can record video submissions on their own or team up with a group of friends. Submissions are due May 1, 2022. "Winners will get cash prizes — to to $2,000 — plus the opportunity to visit the National Institutes of Health for a day," according to the National Eye Institute, part of the ...
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many educators have retired. Worse, teachers of color—an already underrepresented group—are retiring at higher rates than their white peers, according to new research from The National Education Association. Their poll found that 59% of Latino educators were planning on retiring earlier than they expected. This is a worrying statistic as we know that representation in the classroom can better student of color’s education outcomes. The problem needs attention now, according to NEA President Becky Pringle. “This is a five-alarm crisis," Pringle said in a NEA press release. "If we’re serious about getting every child the support they need to thrive, our elected leaders across the nation need to address this ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio and a leading health promotiong researcher, has been selected for the 2022 AAHHE Outstanding Support Award. The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments and support of the mission of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, Inc. (AAHHE). AAHHE is an agent of change for improving education. The organization works collaboratively with all sectors — education, business, industry, community and professional organizations — to meet the educational aspirations of a significantly growing population. Ramirez received the award at the 2022 AAHHE National Conference on March 10, 2022. "It is a great honor ...
Latino students take out more student loans to pay for their education than their White peers, adding to a wage gap and harming upward mobility. In fact, even 12 years after graduation, Latino students still maintained over 83% of their loan debt, compared to only 65% for White borrowers, according to a recent report from the nonprofit Student Borrower Protection Center. “Borrowers in majority-Black and majority-Latino neighborhoods shoulder greater debt burdens and struggle when repaying their loans,” according to the Borrower report. “The more segregated a neighborhood grows, the larger the student loan [differences] become, with borrowers in the most segregated areas being up to five times more likely to fall behind on their loans than those in the whitest ...
Free school meals have been a staple for kids from low-income households for decades, especially Latino kids. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, unions and support organizations successfully fought to bring universal free school meals to students learning from home, with federal support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Then after several extensions, USDA funded school meals through June 30, 2022. But what happens after that? Let’s explore the current state of free school meals, the impact they have on Latino kids, and what the future holds. UPDATE 2/4/22: The Biden administration announced the USDA will change its school nutrition standards for the 2022-2023 school year, reinstating health goals that were rolled back throughout the Trump administration on ...
As a teenager, Hilda Ramirez saw how the educational system did not support Latino students, limiting their chances for academic success and future mental and physical health. These inequities in education led Ramirez to a career in advocacy for Latinos. Today, as the executive director of the Latino Education Institute and a representative of the Latino Empowerment and Organizing Network (LEON), she advocates for the well-being of Latino youth in Worcester, Massachusetts (21.9% Latino). She recently helped create a seven-member commission in Worcester city government organizational to examine the impact of local policy on Latinos. This work is critical in promoting and encouraging legislation that will benefit the Latino community and address health inequities in education ...
Dr. Benjamín Aceves wasn’t sure if he wanted to pursue a PhD. He was hesitant about the commitment. He didn’t have a background in academia that many pursuing PhD programs do. But after attending the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training at UT Health San Antonio, Aceves grew his network of scholars and learned about resources that could help him succeed in a PhD program. “My experience at Éxito! was mind-opening for sure,” Aceves said. He went on to earn his PhD and now is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California in San Francisco, where he researches the intersection of Latino health, chronic disease prevention, and the social determinants of health.
Learning About Éxito!
Aceves learned about Éxito! from his peers, who encouraged him to ...
Like many Latino students, Donají Stelzig was unsure if she should pursue a PhD. She was intimated by the barriers and didn’t think she was capable of doing it, especially since she already had a full-time job and family. But after attending the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training at UT Health San Antonio, the researchers and scholars she met encouraged her to apply and followed up with her even when she was doubtful. Now, Stelzig has a doctoral degree and is a visiting assistant professor and lecturer at the University of Houston, where she also directs the Community Health Worker Training Center at the Honors College. She’s grateful for the Éxito! experience and how it helped her build a network to succeed throughout her career.
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Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez’s Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program at UT Health San Antonio has been named a winner of Excelencia in Education’s “Examples of Excelencia.” The awards spotlight evidence-based programs that support Latino students in higher education. Éxito! was a finalist in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Excelencia in Education, a national group that promotes Latinos in higher education, announced the winning “Examples of Excelencia” on Oct. 28, 2021, in four categories—associate, baccalaureate, graduate, and community-based organizations. Watch the announcement. Éxito! won in the graduate category. "The four stand out programs are models of culturally responsive, asset-based efforts with evidence of effectiveness in recruiting, ...
