North Carolina Community Forum

Hispanics in Philanthropy hosted a Community Forum on Latino Education in Asheville, NC on Thursday, April 26.  Elizabeth Brazas, president of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, a HIP Funders’ Collaborative partner and forum co-sponsor, welcomed attendees with an overview of Latino demographics in the state. Two panels discussed the challenges and solutions for Latino students in the North Carolina educational system. The expert panel was comprised of an advocacy lawyer from the North Carolina Justice Center, a tutor from the Migrant Education Program of Buncombe County, and the Executive Director of the Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Council who created an extensive Latino Student Resource Guide. In the second panel, documented and undocumented college students shared their diverse and inspiring experiences in the educational system. The forum sparked conversations about simple, yet impactful, changes school staff can make to improve access to K-12 education for Latino students. The event also inspired audience members to request future forums addressing immigration. The event was sponsored by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, one of HIP’s longstanding partners in the North Carolina Funders’ Collaborative. Other sponsors include: YWCA Stand Against Racism, Mountain Area Health Education Center, Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Council, and Mountain Bizworks. The event was also live-tweeted by Diego Lopez, executive director of The Center of McDowell County, a HIP grantee. You can visit the Twitter feed of @mcdowellcentro for highlights and photos of the forum.