The Future is Calling - Empower 150 youth today!

The second phase of the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP II) was launched in the fall of 2011 to provide additional individualized support to the graduates of the first phase of the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP I ).  While ELP II provided support to students in grades 9-12 in its first two years, it became clear that the time that our students needed the most support from a caring adult was during their senior year of high school. High school seniors have to worry about college applications, scholarship applications, financial aid forms, and choosing a major on top of their normal school and homework responsibilities, not to mention extracurricular activities, community service hours, and after school jobs if they work.

With the addition of a second AmeriCorps ELP Facilitator to the Edu-Futuro team in the fall of 2013, we were able to re-format ELP II so that we can offer high school seniors easily accessible and reliable support from the moment they begin their college application process, through the last day of summer break if necessary in order to secure every bit of financial aid possible to make each students’ college dream a reality. AmeriCorps ELP Facilitators Kyle Huggins and Susan Rios serve full time in the Edu-Futuro office, so their students know when and where to go for support.

“It is truly rewarding to be able to help these high school students through this process. It is a valuable lesson they are learning; to balance school life, extracurricular activities, and college application process with strict deadlines,” Susan says. “Although many complained last month about how stressful and tedious it is to apply to college, they are being rewarded for their commitment and dedication with several letters of acceptance. I am looking forward to continuing this experience with them and incredibly excited to see what the future holds for them.”

“I love working with ELP II students because I get to help them tap into their own strengths. While we might have resources to offer them, I know that their best resource resides in their own potential because each of them is talented and brings a lot to the table,” Kyle shares. “That's what this program is all about: bringing out the best of each student so that they can create a better future for themselves.”

Upcoming Events

On Saturday, March 1 we will launch the Spring 2014 session of the Emerging Leaders Program: Part I with a special Kick-off event at George Mason University. We have an exciting session ahead of us including another college visit to Virginia Commonwealth University thanks to your support!

Each year, the Posse Foundation awards four-year, full-tuition scholarships to a select number of students with outstanding academic and leadership potential. This year, Edu-Futuro is very proud to announce that three graduates of our Emerging Leaders Program are finalists for this prestigious award.

High school seniors Analit Chambi from Falls Church High School, Marisela Lara from Washington-Lee High School, and Edgar Payano from Yorktown High School are graduates of the Emerging Leaders Program: Part I (ELP I) and are currently enrolled in the Emerging Leaders Program: Part II (ELP II). ELP II is the second phase of our college prep and leadership development program; it is a more individualized approach to the college preparation process designed specifically for seniors in high school.

Marisela speaks about her first ELP I session the summer after her sophomore year, “undoubtedly the most important aspect of my experience that summer was the fact that someone believed in me. I was encouraged to attempt things, such as to apply to scholarships, which I had previously avoided for fear of failing. But my mentors supported me and helped me to understand that I have a deep well of potential.”

“With the help of my mentors in ELP I and now in ELP II, I am a competitive finalist for a full-tuition scholarship,” Marisela says. “I cannot put into words how significant this is for my mother and me financially. Thanks to the support and inspiration given to me via Edu-Futuro, I am now one step closer to accomplishing my professional goal of practicing medicine.”

Upcoming Events

Saturday, December 14, 2013 is a big day for Edu-Futuro! In the morning we will hold a small closing ceremony marking the end of the fall 2013 semester of our Escuela Bolivia Saturday Spanish School at Claremont Elementary School.

Later that afternoon, we invite you to help us celebrate the fall 2013 class of Emerging Leaders at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, VA from 12:30pm-3pm. Among other great workshops this fall, we have had the opportunity to visit Catholic University in Washington, DC, heard the stories of accomplished guest speakers at our career panels, and we held a car wash and food drive fundraiser where our students raised over $400 in monetary donations and non-perishable food items that benefitted AFAC and A-SPAN.

Edu-Futuro sends you our most sincere appreciation for the support that has helped make all of this possible!