Nuestra Iniciativa February Newsletter

“America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free, sent a generation of GIs to college, and trained the best workforce in the world. But in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never before, we need to do more.” President Obama, State of the Union Address, January 20, 2015

Investing in America's Future On February 2, President Obama released the FY16 budget. The budget strengthens education from early childhood through higher education for all, including Hispanics. Amongst the highlights: $75 billion Preschool for All proposal to provide universal high-quality preschool programs. $1 billion in Title I funding to help schools, districts and States in reaching high standards for disadvantaged students. $60.3 billion America's College Promise, to provide two years of free community college for responsible students. $5 billion for Teaching for Tomorrow and $350 million for Excellent Educators Grants to better support teachers and school leaders. Click here for more information on the President's budget on education. How is your school Reaching Higher? First Lady Michelle Obama is calling on every high school senior in America to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and for students, principals, teachers, school counselors, and administrators to show us how their school is taking action to get more students to fill out the FAFSA. Step up to the challenge and the First Lady may send you a special message or speak at your commencement! FAFSA Completion Challenge: Submit a video on how your school is encouraging students to fill out their FAFSA. The deadline is March 16, 2015. Near-Peer Mentoring College Challenge: Share a video on how your college or university is taking steps to open their campus to high school students. The deadline is February 27, 2015. Completing the FAFSA On January 1, the 2015-16 Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA) became available.  Completing the FAFSA is critical to getting access to more than $134 billion in grants, loans, and work-study funds.  Moreover, it is free, quick (on average, taking about 20 minutes!), and easy.  To make sure that students do not leave money on the table, the Department has prepared a number of blog posts to help students and parents navigate through the process:  5 Reasons You Should Complete the FAFSA  7 Things You Need Before You Fill Out the FAFSA 6 Steps to Filling Out the FAFSA  Parents: Tips to Help Your Child Complete the FAFSA  7 Common FAFSA Mistakes Opportunity Is Not Optional: Secretary Duncan’s Vision for America’s Landmark Education Law On January 12, Secretary Duncan laid out a bold vision for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) at Seaton Elementary School in Washington, D.C.  On the 50th anniversary of the nation’s cornerstone education law, the Secretary called a "responsible reauthorization" of ESEA that ensures every child recieves an education that sets him or her for success in college, career, and life. Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program The Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women is now accepting applications for their Campus Program. The program is designed to encourage colleges and universities to adopt comprehensive, coordinated responses to violent crimes against women on campuses and create partnerships among campus entities, along with community-based victim services organizations and criminal and civil justice agencies. The deadline is March 20, 2015. Federal Resources The Library of Congress is accepting applications for its week-long summer programs for K-12 educators through March 24.  The professional development, held at the Library of Congress, provides educators with resources to effectively integrate primary sources into classroom teaching. The goal of the 12-week (June 1st to August 31st) National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families Summer Research Fellowship Program is to attract, develop, and expand the pool of emerging scholars focused on studying issues of relevance to low-income, vulnerable Hispanic children and families. Federal Opportunities In collaboration with the American Library Association, the National Endowment for the Humanities is accepting grant proposals through May 1, 2015, for community organizations to show the PBS documentary, Latino Americans: 500 Years of History. The Smithsonian Latino Center is accepting applications for its Young Ambassadors Program. This program provides students with a weeklong, all-expenses paid training and leadership seminar and a four-week internship. It is open to graduating high school seniors with a commitment to the arts, sciences, or humanities as it pertains to the Latino communities. The deadline is April 6, 2015. Connect With WHIEEH FOLLOW US LIKE US EMAIL US FOLLOW US February Webinar Join us on tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25th at 1pm EST for a webinar on P-12 education, civil rights, and equity with John B. King, Senior Adviser Delegated Duties of Deputy Secretary of Education To register, please click here. ¡Estudia, Hay Dinero! The First Lady and Univision have teamed up to raise awareness among Hispanic high school students and their families about the importance of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the financial aid options after completing it. Click here to see the new public service announcement starring First Lady Michelle Obama and Sabado Gigante's Don Francisco. Staff Activities Deputy Director Marco Davisspoke about the importance of FAFSA completion on New York's ABC7 "Tiempo" program. Chief of Staff Maribel Duran was featured on a podcast in "Logra Tu Dream" on how the White House is helping Hispanics achieve higher levels of education. Chief of Staff Maribel Duranvisited Broward County Public Schools to learn about their efforts to better support Hispanics and English Language Learners. Commissioner Activities Commissioner Alicia Abella, was recently featured by The Huffington Post, on the importance of breaking down ethnic and gender barriers in the STEM fields. Guide to Prevent Child Trafficking in Schools DYK: Many child victims of human trafficking are students in the American school system?ED has released a guide foreducators on ways to identify and prevent child trafficking inpublic schools Staff Additions The Initiative welcomesJaqueline Cortez-Wang as Senior Advisor! Jaqueline join us from the ED’s Office of Communications and Outreach.As Senior Advisor, Jaqueline will lead the Initiative's 25th Anniversary efforts. The Initiative also welcomesRosario Mendez from the Federal Trade Commission. As Senior Advisor, Rosario will lead the Initiative's Communications and Media efforts. In addition, the Initiative is pleased to welcome the following Spring 2015 policyinterns and fellows: Erica Alvarez, University of Southern California Miguel Arreola, University of Southern California Margarita Chavez, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow, University of New Mexico Madeline Garcia, University of California, Davis Ileana Roque Gonzalez, University of Central Florida Lucy Mendez, American University Stephanie Vela, American University Summer Internship Opportunities Our Initiative is seeking highly motivated and passionate individuals to join our WHIEEH Summer Intern Cohort. The deadline is March 15. Apply today!

This newsletter was written with the help of Madeline Garcia, University of California, Davis, an intern with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. To learn how you can become an intern with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, go here. To become an intern with the U.S. Department of Education, go here. Comments/Questions? Please send an email [Subject: "Nuestra Iniciativa"] to the U.S. Department of Education's Hispanic Communications & Outreach Liaison, Jaqueline Cortez Wang atjaqueline.cortezwang@ed.gov. Nuestra Iniciativa contains links to other websites and news articles. These links represent just a few examples of the numerous reference materials currently available to the public. The opinions expressed in any articles or web pages do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education or the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. The inclusion of resources should not be construed or interpreted as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education or the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics of any private organization or business listed herein.