Students from Midway, Cascade, Pacific, Global Connections, Highline, and Mount Rainier attended this year's Latino/a Educational Achievement Project (LEAP) conference January 18. One of the highlights came during the evening dinner celebration which featured students from Global Connections as presenters. GC senior, Jose Lopez, was honored as the recipient of the Phyllis Gutierrez-Kenney student leadership award, which includes a $5,000 college scholarship!
The conference included workshops for students and parents that support LEAP's mission of academic achievement of Latino/a students in Washington state. Their work centers around developing educational policy priorities to improve teaching and learning in Washington State.
The event also included an opportunity to meet with Representative Dave Upthegrove to discuss laws and policies affecting Latino/a students and communities.
The goal of LEAP, which was founded in 1988, is that all students will graduate from high school with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed for success in post-secondary education or in today's information age and technology-driven workplace.
Community Engagement Specialist Fa'izah Bradford observed, "Many of our students left from the conference with a sense of renewal and encouragement for the future of themselves, their families, and communities."
