Dra. Michelle Espino Lira talks with Sarita Brown, President, and Deborah Santiago, CEO, about the founding of Excelencia in Education (www.edexcelencia.org).  The episode focuses on:  maintaining mission and goals for accelerating Latino student success over the past 16 years;the three pillars that guide their action: data, practice, and leadership;how the Examples of Excelencia were developed; andwhat’s on the horizon for Excelencia in Education.

The Example of Excelencia at the Community-Based Organization Level is the Latino Achievers Program through the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. Dra. Michelle Espino Lira talks with program director, Nichole Davari about the long-standing program that supports Latino, first-generation, and immigrant youth in Nashville public schools. Latino Achievers has three goals: Increase high school graduationIncrease college applications, and Impact overall Latinx college enrollment To learn more about the Latino Achievers Program, go to www.ymcamidtn.org/programs/latino-achievers. To learn more about the programs that accelerate Latino student success, please go to www.edexcelencia.org!

The Example of Excelencia at the Graduate Level is the Cal-Bridge Program at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Dra. Michelle Espino Lira talks with Dr. Alex Rudolph, Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Director of Cal-Bridge, in addition to two Cal-Bridge Scholars, Katy Rodriguez Wimberly (doctoral student at UC-Irvine) and Rob Tejada Arevajo (doctoral student at Princeton University). The Cal-Bridge Program was established in 2014 as a partnership across 9 University of California institutions and 16 California State University campuses to address the national shortage of underrepresented minority PhDs in the fields of physics and astronomy. The Cal-Bridge program has four pillars:  Providing enough financial aid so that students can focus on their studies. Mentorship, which consists of a two-year commitment from a mentor at their Cal State campus and one at a UC school. Professional Development, which focuses on graduate school admissions processes, GRE test-taking, and vetting their list of potential graduate programs. A summer research opportunity. To learn more about the Cal-Bridge Program, go to https://www.cpp.edu/calbridge/ To learn more about the programs that accelerate Latino student success, please go to www.edexcelencia.org!

The Example of Excelencia at the Baccalaureate Level is the Attract, Inspire, Mentor & Support Students program at CSU Northridge. Dra. Michelle Espino Lira talks with Dr. S.K. Ramesh, Director and Lead Principal Investigator and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as AIMS2 Student Services Coordinator, Ms. Josefina Gudino. The AIMS2 program was established in 2011 through a $5.5 million Hispanic-Serving Institution Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics grant from the U.S. Department of Education. In 2016, Dr. Ramesh received an additional $6 million grant to include first-year students. The program is a collaboration among CSU Northridge, Glendale Community College, College of the Canyons, Moorpark College and L.A. Pierce College. The program focuses on 3 major areas: Enrollment and graduation of Hispanic and low-income students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at CSU Northridge;   Closing the achievement gaps between traditionally underserved and better serve students; and  Improving student success.  To learn more about the AIMS2 program, go to http://www.ecs.csun.edu/aims2/ To learn more about the programs that accelerate Latino student success, please go to www.edexcelencia.org!

The Example of Excelencia at the Associate Level is the Center for Community College Partnerships (CCCP) at UCLA. Dra. Michelle Espino Lira talks with Alfred Herrera, Assistant Vice Provost and Director of the program.  CCCP has been supporting community college transfer for Latino students and underserved community college student populations since 2001. The Center offers  1) Summer programs to address educational pipeline issues, motivate and prepare students to be competitive at top research universities;  2) peer mentors, many of whom completed the program) who use their experiences to illustrate how to successfully navigate the system and empower students; and  3) scholars program held throughout the academic year with meetings and workshops focused on keeping students on a transfer pathway. What started out as a summer program with 150 students has evolved into 12 programs serving 700 students. To learn more about the Center for Community College Partnerships, go to www.cccp.ucla.edu! To learn more about the programs that accelerate Latino student success, please go to www.edexcelencia.org!

A collaboration between the national organization, Excelencia in Education and Dra. Michelle Espino Lira, associate professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, Cultivating Excelencia is a limited series podcast showcasing programs in colleges, universities, and community organizations that are accelerating Latinx/a/o student success in higher education. Starting September 2nd, we will feature the 2019 Examples of Excelencia leading to the 2020 Celebración de Excelencia on October 1st.  The following categories will be featured: The Example of Excelencia at the Associate Level The Center for Community College Partnerships University of California, Los Angeles The Example of Excelencia at the Baccalaureate Level Attract, Inspire, Mentor, and Support Students—The AIMS2 Program California State University, Northridge The Example of Excelencia at the Graduate Level Cal-Bridge Program California State Polytechnic University, Pomona The Example of Excelencia at the Community-Based Organization Level Latino Achievers YMCA of Middle Tennessee (Nashville)