Shining The Light Of Hope
Only 50 percent of Connecticut’s Latino students graduate from high school. Helping to change this sobering statistic is a statewide organization called ASPIRA, which operates in numerous cities, including New Britain.
ASPIRA is a Spanish verb that means to aspire, to hope for, to reach out for. Therefore, it is fitting that participants are called “aspirantes,” meaning “hopefuls.”
“They’re aspiring to graduate from high school and go to college and attain a career,” says Vince Siberon, executive director. The numbers show they’re doing more than aspiring – they’re achieving. More than 95 percent of ASPIRA students graduate.
In 2000, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain provided ASPIRA with a $75,000 grant to institute programs at New Britain High School and Slade Middle School. Starting with 20 students in 2000, the number of participants more than doubled in the first four years.
“The Community Foundation is keenly interested in helping kids succeed both in the classroom and in life,” says Siberon.
There are four parts to the curriculum: Leadership Development, Cultural Heritage, Education, and Community Service. Leadership training is also provided to parents through the APEX program (ASPIRA Parents for Educational Excellence). Through workshops, seminars, one-on-one sessions, community service projects, parents are trained to take an active part in their children’s education.
An additional grant of $25,000 was awarded in 2005 by the Foundation to support the continuation of the Leadership Clubs. The money is also used to cover a portion of the program’s personnel costs, APEX leadership training, and to begin a summer family literacy component.
As much as Siberon relies on the facts, he is a man who appreciates genuine feeling. “Sometimes a funder is far away,” says Siberon. “I like working with people who have a passionate interest in what happens. It’s very clear that the Foundation has a vested interest in New Britain and the surrounding communities.”
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