Latinos are making big educational strides. But they still face a lot of hurdles in graduating high school, getting into college, and earning a degree. A Chicago program came up with a unique way to help. Instituto del Progresso Latino started Instituto College, a private two-year college in Chicago that will prepare Latino students with limited English and no high school diploma for middle-income positions, Inside Higher Ed reports. Instituto College aims to give hope to Latino immigrants. In August 2018, the college will welcome its first class of pilot nursing students. They will bridge with an already existing program, "Careers in Salud," which provides certified nursing assistant or registered nurse education.
How Did Instituto College Come About?
A new bill in ...
Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to create a good life. Sadly, Latinos and other minorities face an "opportunity gap." They lack of access to support for economic and education success, according to a Salud America! Research Review. This gap creates health inequities. The new Health Opportunity and Equity (HOPE) initiative is starting a new conversation about the opportunity gap and developing metrics to chart progress toward health equity. "Measuring the opportunity gap is imperative for the nation—to chart progress in how we are performing on opportunity just as we track the Consumer Price Index or other indicators we value—but also for states and communities," according to the HOPE website.
HOPE & Health Equity
The HOPE initiative is funded by the Robert ...
Mental health isn't talked about enough in the Latino community. Even if they want to talk, their doctors are rarely equipped to overcome language and cultural barriers to answer questions. That's starting to change in Missouri. A new residency program is recruiting doctors-in-training to provide Spanish-language mental healthcare services to Latinos in clinics across the state. The program is a collaboration between Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico, which operates a satellite campus in Missouri, and Compass Health Network, a nonprofit with healthcare clinics serving rural residents across Missouri, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. "Very few Missouri clinics have therapeutic staff who speak Spanish," according to the news report. "Compass Health Network ...
Not sure if a snack food for your school or afterscool program meets federal nutrition guidelines? Check out the new Healthier Generation Store with Amazon Business, a first-of-its-kind online marketplace committed to selling products that align with the USDA Smart Snack in School Standards. The store was created by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. "The Healthier Generation Store was created to provide schools and sites with an option that may help them more easily access products that meet nutritional guidelines," according to the Alliance website. "[Store] products were determined to meet nutrition standards by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation based upon products’ ingredient statement and Nutrition Facts panel." The store aims to support schools and groups ...
Promotores de salud are trained community members who promote everything from proper sleep to reducing child abuse among Latinos. Did you know even janitors can be promotores de salud? In fact, the nonprofit Building Skills Partnership and the U.S. Office of Minority Health conducted a workshop in June 2018 to help organizations secure health grants and train low-income male custodians to promote early detection of HIV and Hepatitis C to their Latino friends and family. The project had two phases: A three-day grant-writing workshop for organizations like Para Los Niños, the National Health Foundation, Esperanza Community Housing, The California Hispanic Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, El Centro de Ayuda, the Arthritis Foundation, and the Los Angeles Alliance for ...
Goodbye, boring health fairs. Hello, block parties for health. City leaders and health advocates in Wilmington, Del. (12.2% Latino), will host about 30 block parties this summer to promote family time, play, and neighborhood health in areas with high rates of obesity, diabetes, and cancer, delawareonline reports. The block parties, called "Play Street," will take place from June through August. They're part of the New Castle Healthy Neighborhoods program made possible by a federal grant. At each block party, officials block off a part of the streets so families can partake in activities like basketball and jump rope. Healthy snacks and drinks will be on tap. Health screenings will be available. But no more than two health info booths will be set up. "We want kids to ...
Latinos comprise almost half of all youth in Austin, Texas. These kids are more likely than their peers to deal with mental health issues, from fear of being deported to bullying to financial stress, according to a Salud America! Research Review. And, sadly, these issues go largely untreated. One group—The Austin Child Guidance Center—took notice and is trying to make a positive change. “We’ve just been seeing a lot more fear and a general sense of unpredictability, which raises everybody’s anxiety level,” Julia Hoke, director of psychological services for the Austin Child Guidance Center, told the Austin American Statesman. “We want to be a counterpoint to that.”
The Austin Child Guidance Center
The center started a task force to meet the needs of their ...
The road from high school to college isn’t easy for Latinos. They may speak mainly Spanish. They often lack resources and legal documentation. Some aren’t prepared for complex financial aid and college applications. That’s why one college readiness program uses cultural competency to help Latinos. The Juntos program, a six-week Spanish-language workshop offered through Oregon State University, prepares Latino high-school students for higher education and includes ongoing advisement for students and families, according to The Daily Astorian. Juntos helps Latinos deal with high school graduation requirements, college admission, and getting financial aid─and the workshops include dinner and childcare. “[Juntos gives Latinos] the keys to be able to open the door to ...
Gilbert de Hoyos opened Barrio Barista because he enjoys serving coffee to West Side residents in San Antonio (67% Latino). He also likes to cook. So de Hoyos added a small menu. And he didn't want it full of unhealthy options, either. De Hoyos is among a growing number of eateries that have joined a city health program, ¡Por Vida!, that unites nutritionists with restaurants to promote healthier menu options. “San Antonio and especially the West Side have a reputation of not having healthy foods and I want to change that by cooking delicious foods that also support a healthy life," de Hoyos said. “It’s my way of giving back to the community." One of those options is his roasted vegetable tacos with remoulade sauce served on a corn tortilla, Kens5 reports. The ...
