Contact: Catherine Easby-Smith
(202) 833-0060
manacatherine@aol.com

Washington, D.C., November 19, 2003 - MANA, A National Latina Organization (MANA), along with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans and fellow members of the Partners in Hispanic Education, a historic public-private partnership dedicated to improving education for Hispanics in the United States, will kick-off a nationwide effort in San Diego, CA this weekend.

On Saturday, November 22, the partnership is sponsoring the first in a series of educational fairs or ferias educativas across the country designed to empower Hispanic American families to become stronger advocates for their children's education. This Hispanic-led initiative is the first of its kind and focuses on the most important issue for the Latino populations, which is education.

The San Diego program, which is being sponsored by State Farm Insurance Companies, will take place from 8:30 am to 2:45 pm PT at the KPBS Copley Telecommunications Center on the campus of San Diego State University. Select portions will also be broadcast live by the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA) to the MAAC Charter School in Chula Vista, CA. The event is free, but pre-registration is required and space is limited. Parents, educators, school administrators, business leaders, community-based organizations, and high school students are encouraged to register.

The daylong "Feria Educativa", organized by the local steering committee including San Diego MANA; Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council, Inc.; San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and KPBS, will feature speakers from the San Diego education community, national organizations, State Farm Insurance Companies, and the U.S. Department of Education. Billingual presentations, workshops, and panel discussions aimed at closing the academic achievement gap for Hispanic Americans will be available on a variety of topics, with separate tracks for parents, educators and community members, and students.

"We are excited to be a co-host for this kick-off of the Partners in Hispanic Education's Feria events that will take place across the country. The goal of this partnership is to make the educational tools provided under the No Child Left Behind Act available to parents and families," stated Alma Morales Riojas, President and CEO of MANA. "We are working with local communities to put the resources into the hands of those who need them. As grassroots organizations, we have networks to accomplish this in the seven sites that have been chosen. With the support of corporate friends such as State Farm Insurance Companies we can provide meaningful support to Hispanic families."

"The collaboration put forth by the San Diego community showcases the genuine interest in helping Latino students succeed. The seeds planted with this initiative will continue to grow," stated San Diego Chair, Beatrice Fernández, Immediate past National Chair of MANA.

Partnership participants have committed to hosting seven programs over the next several months. Each site will involve a series of events including town hall meetings; educational workshops for parents, students, educators, and business and community leaders; and a seminar on student financial aid and college scholarships. Pilot cities include Miami, FL; El Paso, TX/las Cruces, NM; Tucson, AZ; Detroit, MI; The Bronx, NY; and Albuquerque, NM.

The Hispanic-led Partners in Hispanic Education include the following National Hispanic organizations: Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU); MANA, A National Latina Organization; National Association of Hispanic Publications; and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Other partners include the Girl Scouts of the USA; National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP); State Farm Insurance Companies; United States Army; United States Department of Education; and the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.

"We all have a stake in the education of our children - parents, families, businesses, entire communities," said Adam Chavarria, Associate Director of the White House Initiative. "No Child Left Behind provides the platform that enables us to work together to ensure that all Latino children receive the high quality education they deserve."

Media interested in attending the event should contact Nancy Worlie, KPBS, at 619-594-1746 or on the day of the event Adela Garcia, San Diego MANA, at 619-293-4410. For more general information on the San Diego event, please contact Bea Fernandez, chair of the local host committee, at 619-293-4410.

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MANA, A National Latina Organization, is a nonprofit, advocacy organization headquartered in the nation's capital, Washington, D. C. With chapters across the country, it is the oldest National Latina membership organization in the United States. MANA, whose mission is to empower Latinas through leadership development, community service, and advocacy, envisions a national community of informed Latina activists working to improve the quality of life for all Hispanics.

MANA also has the only national young Latina's mentoring program for girls 11 to 17, "HERMANITAS®" which brings over 200 girls to Washington DC to a summer institute that includes a briefing at the White House and a visit to the girls' Congressional representatives.