Latinos drop out of high school in much higher numbers than any other group. Thirty nine percent of Latinos are not graduating from high school. One factor contributing to the high drop-out rate is the pregnancy rate that exists amongst the Hispanic community. The most recent data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 70 per 1000 Hispanic girls between the ages of 15-19 will get pregnant, and approximately 80% of these Latina teen moms never marry the father of their baby. Of those that do graduate high school, as less than 10% enroll in college. This low number can be attributed to the simple lack of knowledge faced by many Hispanic families. Many of these Latinos are first-generation students so neither they nor their parents are fully aware of what is needed to go to college. They are not informed of deadlines or scholarship opportunities so college seems unattainable. Other dominate issues leading to high drop-out and pregnancy rates and low college enrollment rates include family gender roles, low self-esteem, marriage, economic status, and undocumented statuses. For the past year four years, “Latinos without Borders” has coordinated a free one-day conference focusing on educating high-school Latinos about the importance of education, a college degree, and self-empowerment. By targeting this population as soon as they enter high school, the likelihood of them dropping out of high school is minimal. By showing them the value of an education and the importance of making positive and responsible decisions, this population will be more likely to finish high school and enroll in college. The goal of the one-day conference is to raise awareness about the importance of education and self-empowerment. However, participants will be given the opportunity to attend a free camp, where the participants will have the opportunity to stay in Norman having access to the campus of the University of Oklahoma, where they will experience what life would be like for students. This camp will be a continuation of the one-day conference and will allow the committee and volunteers more time to connect with the participants while providing more resources that will help them on their journey to college and a successful future. As a positive reflection of the Hispanic Community we hope to raise awareness about the importance of education and self-empowerment through a one-day conference and a camp.
