ENLACE is a multiyear initiative to strengthen the educational pipeline and increase opportunities for Latinos* to enter and complete college. By 2007, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is expected to invest more than $35 million in the ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education initiative. ENLACE was launched in 1997, well before Census data confirmed that Latinos are the nation's largest ethnic group.
ENLACE consists of 13 partnerships in 7 states that are working to increase the number of Latino graduates from high school and college. In Spanish, "enlace" means link or weave together in such a way that the new entity is stronger than its parts. ENLACE partnerships include universities, community colleges, K-12 schools, community-based organizations, students, and parents.
ENLACE has evolved in three phases. In Phase 1, 18 higher education institutions received one-year planning grants of $100,000 each to respond to the needs of students and families by developing action plans based on best practices as well as local contexts. For Phase II, 13 partnerships received grants ranging from $1.4-$2 million to implement their plans over four years. Implementation funds end with the 2004-05 school year. A final phase will seek to sustain promising practices and ENLACE principles for the benefit of more Latino communities and underserved student populations.
Latinos make up the fastest-growing segment of the nation's college-age population (ages 18-25). With a total population approaching 40 million, Latinos will constitute one-fifth of the nation's workforce by 2025. Preparing students for success in the workforce or later education is critical. ENLACE seeks to unite institutions, organizations, and communities in single-minded commitment to improving education for Latino youth.
* The Kellogg Foundation recognizes and values the diversity represented by the terms "Hispanic" and "Latino." Since the use of either term largely depends on personal or regional preferences, we use both interchangeably in our work, acknowledging the richness in diversity within this population.
For more information, contact
Miguel Satut
Program Director, Youth and Education Programs
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
One Michigan Avenue East
Battle Creek, MI 49017-4058
(616) 968-1611
WKKF@WKKF.org