National Hispanic Education Summit to be Held Oct. 18 at Baylor

Daytime workshops, evening College Fair highlight summit focused on increasing Latino college recruitment and graduation rates

Contacts: Lori Fogleman, 254-710-6275 or Pamela McClure, 615-294-5073

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WACO, Texas (Oct. 11, 2016) – Baylor University will serve as host of the 7th annual National Hispanic Education Summit on Tuesday, Oct. 18, in the Bill Daniel Student Center on the Baylor campus.

The daylong event – presented by the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), the Faith and Education Coalition-NHCLC, and the Alliance for Hispanic Christian Education – addresses education challenges as well as strategies and solutions for increasing Latino college recruitment and graduation rates. Attendees will include leaders from Christian universities and colleges, various denominations and local churches, who are committed to Hispanic student success.

The summit will feature special guest speakers Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education, and Dr. Ruth López-Turley, professor of sociology at Rice University. Press passes are available. (MEDIA: Please contact Pamela McClure at 615-294-5073 or pamela@mmpublicrelations.com for more information about covering the summit.)

This year, the summit will be followed by an evening College Fair, which is open to the public. Local students and parents can explore options for quality higher education, and a $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to one student attending the College Fair.

Registration for the summit is free and includes a luncheon session, afternoon workshops and the evening College Fair. The summit runs 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Bill Daniel Student Center, 1311 S. Fifth St. The College Fair will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the same location.

“It is our prayer that this unique platform serves to form and nurture meaningful relationships to be between Hispanic evangelical leaders and university leadership. Hispanic students – and those they reach through their respective callings – will be the ultimate beneficiaries of these Kingdom-minded relationships,” said Dr. Andrea Ramirez, executive director of the Faith and Education Coalition-NHCLC, who oversees key education initiatives for the NHCLC throughout the U.S.

“We are honored to host this year’s Hispanic Higher Education Summit and welcome outstanding speakers and leaders from local churches and fellow Christian colleges and universities to discuss the importance of education and access to Hispanic students,” said Baylor Interim President David E. Garland. “The summit will help equip pastors, church leaders and parents to better understand the challenges and opportunities faced by the next generation of Latino students while encouraging and empowering academic achievement.”

The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), which values Education as one of its core directives, advocates for Hispanic student success including education equity and high academic standards for all students. The NHCLC serves as a representative voice for the more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals worldwide assembled in the U.S. and throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

2016 Schedule
National Hispanic Education Summit, hosted by Baylor University
October 18, 2016

Location: Bill Daniel Student Center, Baylor campus

Doors open: 10 a.m.

General Session: 10:45-11:45 a.m.

• Dr. Shirley Hoogstra, president, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities: Rationale for Hispanic Recruitment and Graduation

Lunch Program: Noon-1:35 p.m.

• Sarita Brown, President, Excelencia in Education: Proven Examples of Excelencia: What it takes to recruit and graduate Latino students
• Dr. Ruth Lopez-Turley, Professor, Rice University: Factors that Impact Where Latinos Choose to Go to College and Determinants of Students’ Success in Higher-Education

Workshops offered during Two Breakout Sessions: 1:50 - 3:45pm

Workshop #1: Mom Panel: Latino Parents Want You to Know…

• Moderator: Rev. Rigo Mendez, Elder, The Potter’s House of Denver
• Parent Panelists: Elda Rojas, Chief Education Consultant, Elda Rojas Educational Services (ERES), and Leticia L. Reyes, Doctoral Candidate, Dallas Baptist University

Workshop #2: Retention through Graduation: Best Practices

• Presenter: Rev. Dr. Joanne Solis-Walker, Director of Education for Latinos & Adjunct Professor, Seminario Wesley at Indiana Wesleyan University

Workshop #3: Overcoming Challenges to Recruiting Latino Students

• Moderator: Dr. Tony Celelli, President, South Texas School of Christian Studies
• University Leader Panelists: Dr. Carlos Campos, President, Ashland University; Rev. Greg Dyson, Director of Intercultural Leadership, Cedarville University; Dr. Cory Hines, Vice President for Advancement and Graduate Affairs, Dallas Baptist University; Bobby Soto, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Dallas Baptist University; and Patty Villarreal, Development Director, Latina Leadership Institute

Workshop #4: Transforming Families in Public Schools and Communities Through Raising Highly Capable Kids

• Presenters: Gabriel Cortes, Director, Hispanic Education Initiative, and Mike Haley, National Program Director, Rezilient Kidz

Workshop #5: 10 Pasos para Crear un Ambiente de Crecimiento en Tu Iglesia

• Presenter: Rolando Rodriguez, Director of Hispanic Ministries, Texas Baptists

Closing Session: 4-5 p.m.

• Dr. Dennis Hollinger, President, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary: Biblical Foundation for Academic Success

College Fair: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Second Floor, Barfield Drawing Room, Bill Daniel Student Center