Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC), along with the other 21 Hispanic Serving Institutions in the state, just got a boost from the Helios Education Foundation. The foundation has awarded a $100,000 one-year planning grant to the Arizona Hispanic Serving Institutions Consortium.
The consortium, which launched in January 2021, includes all Hispanic Serving Institutions, or HSIs, in Arizona and aims to strengthen their individual and collective capacity to intentionally support conditions necessary for Latinx student success.
“Addressing the Latinx opportunity gap is crucial not only to the success of HSI community colleges but Arizona as a whole,” said Dr. Rey Rivera, EMCC President and consortium cofounder.
According to the Arizona Education Progress Meter, seven out of 10 jobs in Arizona require a higher education degree or certificate.
“HSI community colleges are ready to support the needs of the skilled workforce in the highest-demand areas in a way that is equitable, accessible, and affordable for students,” Dr. Rivera said. “This consortium will help unite HSIs across the state in the collective pursuit of increasing educational attainment with our youngest and most populous demographic for the betterment of Arizona.”
With its grant, Helios hopes to help the consortium build a strong foundation, establish a focused plan of action, support swift and intentional movement from ideation to implementation, and produce recommendations that will be presented to Arizona leaders. The grant will also support input gathering and a planning process, cataloging and disseminating evidence-based practices, launching an inaugural summit, and identifying implementation priorities moving forward.
The Helios Education Foundation was created in 2004 to support postsecondary attainment for low-income and under-represented communities in Arizona and Florida. Since its inception, the foundation has invested nearly $300 million in partnerships and initiatives to improve education outcomes.
“The consortium directly aligns with the mission of Helios and our Latino Student Success strategy in Arizona to enrich the lives of these students by creating equitable opportunities for success in postsecondary education,” said Paul J. Luna, Helios President and CEO. “We are looking forward to working together with the consortium to meet the needs of our Hispanic students while helping to ensure more Hispanic students have the opportunity to complete a college degree.”