Oceanside CA— MiraCosta College invites Carlsbad area high school Latino boys to attend the Encuentros Education & STEM Career Exploration Conference, to take place on Saturday, February 21 at the college’s Oceanside Campus, located 1 Barnard Drive. This year’s breakout workshops will focus on careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and is aimed at increasing the number of Latinos in higher education. Featured speakers will be David Espinoza of Project Reach, as well as Richard Huizar, a MiraCosta transfer student who was accepted to M.I.T. Master of ceremonies will be Roberto Rivas, founder and chief operations officer of Encuentros Leadership. The day will begin at 8:30 a.m. with check-in and a continental breakfast followed by the opening session at 9 a.m.
Latinos are the youngest, largest and fastest growing ethnic population in America, yet 53% of Latino boys in California do not finish high school. This alarming statistic is but one indicator of how the changing demographics of Hispanics in our society will impact the global economy.
“Encuentros Leadership has been providing quality program interventions for Latino males in North San Diego County since 2003. Our STEM Conference on February 21 is another example of the activities being provided to enhance the educational experience of Latino males attending school in Carlsbad,” says Robert Rivas. “By advocating about the current impact of STEM, students are not only given the opportunity to learn about future trends and careers in high tech, they also connect the dots back to how education impacts their future today. We are thankful to our local sponsor, the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, for making this opportunity available to local students attending school and residing in Carlsbad.”
Encuentros Leadership, a nonprofit 501 c3 organization founded in 2003, aims to bring successful Latinos in business, education and government face-to-face with these at-risk children in order to encourage them to continue with their education and expose them to different career options. Student participants from local middle and high schools will have the opportunity to meet with Latino professionals and start thinking about their future careers.
There is no cost to attend the conference; however pre-registration is suggested and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Encuentros Leadership Conference is sponsored by The Carlsbad Charitable Foundation, MiraCosta College Associated Student Government, MiraCosta College and VONS.
For more information, contact Lisa Montes at lmontes@miracosta.edu or call 760.757.2121 x6396.