| Education Issues in the Latino Community Latinos Are Dropping Out of High School at an Alarming Rate ee nec feCesar Chavez Public Charter High School for Public Policy Students 2005 Community Action Project Students (10 Grade) Carlos Bayona Franeiseo Chavarria Jayro Cruz Patricia Hernandez Josara Pefia Karla Perez-Lopez Andy Quel Jackeline Rodriguez Rosa Salgado Jose Vasquez |2005 Fellowship Students (11" Grade) Steffany Chavez Marlin Gareia Jose Martinez Manuel Rivera |CARECEN Contributing Staff Ivette Iraheta, MPP Program Director, Citizenship and Civic Participation Elmer Campos, BA Criminal Justice Coordinator, Citizenship and Civic Participation Stacey Terrell, Expected B.A. International Affairs Program InternAword from CARECEN ‘The group of young students who prepared this report have leaned together to ask the right questions, to collect data o tabulate the information and to draw conclusions and recommendations. They also had hands-on experience with data processing and graphics. They also had a chance to interact with each other and to prepare a Powerpoint presentation, They have aequired ase of skills Which are vital to have in to- day's labor markt. Carlos, Stffiny, Marti, Manuel. Jose, Francisco, Jayro, Patria Josar, Karla, And Jackeline, Rosa and Jose are very young and I ean only imagine al the potential they have and what a great ture they can ‘build for themsclves. The credit goes to them and to their parents. We at CARECEN wanted to make them fel part ofa community organization. ‘Saul Solorzao, Escotive Ditetor CARECEN Wis always a wonderfil experience to work with Cesae Chavez High Schoo! students nthe lst couple of sears, CARECEN and Cesar Chavez students have established a song partnership in oder to support Students’ public poly learning and further their engagement in selfadvoraey. We have worked together {in support of immigration benefits for Central Americans, including the extension of TPS (Temporary Pro- {ected Status) and passage ofthe DREAM Act, which would allo currently undocumented students to pursue thee goal of higher education. Our most reznt collaboration is this project, which seeks to address the disturbing rate of Latino high school dropouts. Through this project students were able to engage in analyzing and producing academic research in oder to reveal valle information aboot Latinas i the Distit of Columbia, and to thea be able to offer recommendations tothe DC public school stem, par= ents. peers ad all intrested inthis issue. Our aoa at CARECEN isto motivate students to address issues that impact ther lives and to support them in finding soutions toaddess them, 'WetteWaheta, Citizenship and Ci ic Pantcipation Program Director “The following report i the result of months of work performed by stodens from Cesar Chavez Public Policy Charter High Schoo. The students dedicated themselves to no just learning about the issues that affect their community but to also work towards implementing solutions that could have an impact on them. The report dels with the alarming rate of Latinos dropping out of high setool Year aftr year. La- tino youth continuc to represent the majrity of high school dropeuts. Students understand tht inorder to succeed inthis county. one has to beable o tak advantage of all the oppertunties that are available but without an edveation, those opportunities diminish ner Campos, Citizenship and Civic Patiaton Program Coordinator Ityvas a great experience to work with this patcular group of students. They spoke with passion about the issue which made me more motivated to work wih them. thik thatthe fact hat these young people ‘hose to work with the issue ofthe Latino dropout rate very important. This shoves me that hey them Selves are concerned about their tae ad the future oftheir pects. These stents chose to address a _sowing problem they see everyday within ther schools instead of ust ignoring ‘Siaey Teel Citizenship and Civic Paisipation Program Item a Pages