Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESIDENT ASHLEY HOLDS RECEPTION

FOR LATINO COMMUNITY LEADERS

(Worcester, MA – October 28, 2003) Worcester State College President Janelle C. Ashley will hold a reception for leaders of the Latino community in Central Massachusetts on Wednesday, October 29, 2003. Nearly 200 people have been invited to attend the reception, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Blue Lounge of the Student Center

President Ashley will take the opportunity to affirm the college’s commitment to the Latino Education Institute (LEI), home of the Worcester Working Coalition for Latino Students at Worcester State College, and to its mission which is to improve the educational achievement of Latino students at the K-16 levels.

Judge Luis G. Perez, who is co-chair of the Worcester Working Coalition for Latino Students, and Dr. Maria del Rio, executive director of the LEI, will also share information about the Institute and its growing impact on Latino families, such as the newly opened Family Resource Center which supplies meeting space and computer stations for parents and educational materials for Latino families.

“My purpose for holding this reception is to get to know the Latino community leaders better, and for them to get to know the College better and to receive an update on our progress,” said President Ashley. “I wanted an informal gathering so that we could share our successes, as well as receive important feedback and answer questions from those who are leaders in the Latino community.”

The mission and goals of the Latino Education Institute, home of the Worcester Working Coalition for Latino Students at Worcester State College, are to improve the educational achievement of Latino students at the K-16 levels. The specific goals are to: reduce dropout rates and increase parental involvement, high school graduation rates and retention of Latino students at higher education institutions.

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