Scholars Latino Initiative Scholarships

SLI continues to work with the Latina/o youngsters at our pilot project high school in Siler City, and has entertained invitations to expand. But we prefer to assure a funding basis for scholarship for those who complete our cultural enrichment, study skills, and public service program. Perhaps the most notables developments follow:

1) We have acted in compliance with federal regulations to assure that members of the SLI Board and the Triangle Community Foundation make up only a minority of those on the committee selecting scholars.

2) We have added Kevin Markle, now completing advanced degree work at the University of North Carolina's Kenan Flagler Business School as Treasurer, and we are preparing to replace Janet Lopez, project director, who will receive her PhD from the school of education in June.

3) Kristin Economo, UNC undergraduate, collaborating with local officials in Siler City has established a "public service corps," so that SLI's high school students undertake regular, after school duties--assisting "at risk youngsters" from area K-8 programs.

4) Dennis McFarland, author of PRINCE EDWARD, presided over the most recent, early March session of SLI's early college experience and the Initiative students completed previous "extracurricular" classes on his book. The sessions capped our two-month concentration on the history of desegregation in the South, 1954-1964. Our next guest is filmmaker Jeffrey Zimbalist, producer and co-director of the HBO/Cinemax documentary, FAVELA RISING, winner in its category at the Tribeca Festival--2005.

5) We'll have a group photo to you at the next update, and you'll find our 8 sophmores, 9 juniors, 17 undergraduate college mentors, and staff ready to celebrate the college acceptances (5 already) of our seniors.