V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

106 | Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry • Latinos tend to go to college at institutions near their homes for family and financial reasons. 10 • Of the nearly 1 million students at Catholic colleges and universities in the United States, approximately 600,000 are Catholic and 110,000 are Hispanic. • Access to higher education, especially in private institutions, is commonly believed to be an impossible dream because of finances, culture, and geography. • Geographical challenges exist because the areas of the country where Hispanic young people are heavily concentrated—the South and the West—do not have a robust presence of Catholic higher educational institutions. Likewise, in the regions where most Catholic colleges and universities are located, Latino students are present in very small numbers. • Without the appropriate educational credentials (e.g. professional degrees, graduate education, etc.), many Hispanics are unable to access positions of leadership in the Church and in the larger society. III. Top Recommendations from the National Encuentro • Catholic leaders within the diocese, parish, grade schools, and Catholic universities should commit to raising awareness, assisting with the discernment, and investing in pathways that guarantee some success in the higher education of Hispanics. • Assist parents through parish, diocesan, ecclesial organizational, and Catholic university structures to prepare their children for college. • Accompany students as early as possible, encourage them to think about college. Grade school, religious education, and youth groups can play an important role, providing mentorship that accompanies students from application to graduation. • Encourage Catholic institutions of higher education to develop outreach and support structures for Hispanic students and families as a way of building up the Catholic community. IV. Successful and Exemplary Practices • Welcome and support Hispanics in Catholic elementary and high schools, since 90% of their graduates go to college. • Facilitate collaboration between schools and parents to teach them the process and requirements for admission to the university, and the financial resources available for young people to achieve higher education. • Bring institutions of higher education—both Catholic and non-Catholic—to ministerial settings to share information about programs, scholarships, and pathways to college. • Establish support networks for Hispanic students within colleges to fortify retention and completion. • Leaders in parishes and dioceses, especially pastors and bishops, must make an intentional commitment to encourage and support young adult Hispanics in the process of discerning, accessing, and completing higher education programs. • Engage Latino families in the process of discerning college choices and career possibilities. • Establish alliances between Catholic education leaders, pastors/bishops, and catechists, teachers, and parents to make Catholic schools and universities more welcoming and more inclusive spaces for Hispanic families. 10 Cf. Frances Contreras, Adriana Flores-Regade, John Michael Lee, Jr., and Keon McGuire, The College Completion Agenda: Research and Context Brief: Latino Edition (2011). Retrieved from the College Board website: http://media.collegeboard.com/ digitalServices/public/pdf/rd/context_brief_latino_2011.Pdf . Ministerial Area Sessions