LOS ANGELES, Sept. 15, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Who: As a Bright Spot, LAUP will be part of a national online catalog that includes over 230 programs that invest in key education priorities for Hispanics.
What: The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (WHIEEH) announced LAUP as part of its online catalog of Bright Spots organizations. The catalog includes more than 230 national programs.
Why: The Initiative seeks to leverage these Bright Spots to encourage collaboration between stakeholders focused on similar issues in sharing data-driven approaches, promising practices, peer advice, and effective partnerships, ultimately resulting in increased support for the educational attainment of the Hispanic community, from cradle-to-career.
Where: www.ed.gov/hispanicinitiative
When: Alejandra Ceja, Executive Director of the Initiative, made the announcement at a press conference at today's launch of Hispanic Heritage Month and in honor of the Initiative's 25th anniversary in Washington, D.C.
LAUP's CEO, Celia C. Ayala, attended the press conference. "Since LAUP's inception 10 years ago, we have been dedicated to serving all families, including our large population of Hispanic families, with quality early care and education for their young children in Los Angeles County," Ayala said. "LAUP is thrilled to be a part of the national effort committed to Hispanic educational achievement, and is honored by this recognition as an exemplary program."
More than 60% of LAUP's preschool staff and providers are Hispanic and more than 54% of LAUP children have parents who immigrated to the U.S.
One way LAUP is deepening its impact within this demographic is through the creation of its "Take Time. Talk!" initiative, which employs bilingual language tools – brochures, cards, etc.—that parents and caregivers can use to help expose young children to more positive language interactions and strengthen their vocabulary skills. As part of its Commitment to Action with WHIEEH, LAUP will continue to distribute and conduct trainings on "Take Time. Talk!" to Hispanic families.
About LAUP
LAUP is a 10-year-old non-profit organization whose mission is to support the development of the whole child, grow a qualified and diverse workforce, and strengthen family engagement in order to promote access and program excellence. Since 2005, LAUP has prepared more than 100,000 children for kindergarten and beyond by funding, rating and raising the level of quality preschool programs throughout Los Angeles County. laup.net
About Bright Spots
The Initiative was established in 1990 to address the educational disparities faced by the Hispanic community. To learn more about the Initiative and to view the Bright Spots in Hispanic Education national online catalog visit www.ed.gov/HispanicInitiative. The catalog includes an overview of each Bright Spots but does not include the nomination applications in their entirety.
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=36097
