Students Unite to Fight for their DREAM, Demand Education Reform

Columbus, Ohio

May 27, 2010

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Columbus Councils, The Ohio Hispanic Coalition, and the Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE), through their Youth Program, Dream Talks! have united a group of high school students to hold a rally at 4:00pm on June 6, 2010 at John Bishop Park in Whitehall to demand Education Reform and be given access to their DREAMs. 

June 6th marks graduation day for several Whitehall students. For many of them, it also marks the last day they will have ease of education. Today's most important civil rights issue is being played out in America's high school classrooms. Every year, more than one million students drop out, meaning almost one of every three freshmen will not have a high school diploma four years later. While roughly 70 percent of all high school students graduate on time, only about half of African American and American Indian and Alaska Native students do, and just about 55 percent of Hispanic students graduate. 

“Every student, regardless of their background, deserves an education. It goes beyond finishing high school; we must provide a pathway to further education. Catering to every student’s DREAMs will ease a transition to college and this can only be done in unity” advocates Fernando Bergas-Coria, VP for Youth Development for a Columbus LULAC Council. Mr. Bergas-Coria, a Whitehall graduate and community activist, leads a program called Dream Talks! where he meets with high school students at their school and speaks to them about the importance of attending class everyday and maintaining high grades. His first group of students consisted of approximately 58 youth who expressed their desire to host a rally to make others aware of the broken education system and to get their parents involved in the process. 

The Rally will begin at 4:00pm on June 6th and many of the students will be arriving in their graduation cap and gown to further illustrate their desire to continue learning. Speakers at the event include Claudia DeLeon from LULAC in Columbus, Josue Vicente from the Ohio Hispanic Coalition, Jesus Ovalle coordinator for CHSE in Columbus, Fernando Bergas-Coria for Dream Talks!, Charleta Tavares who is a strong supporter, as well as two leading students and their supporting parents. Enrique Infante, a well known artist, songwriter and community activist, will present live with his band DJVU Latin Fusions.

CONTACT:
Claudia Y. De Leon, (956) 463-0655, Deleon.claudia@gmail.com
Fernando Bergas-Coria, (614) 887-6357 fernandoGBC@live.com

ABOUT LULAC ‐ The League of United Latin American Citizens, better known as LULAC (www.lulac.org), the oldest and largest Hispanic membership organization in the country, advances the economic conditions, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community‐based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.
 

ABOUT The Ohio Hispanic Coalition ‐ The Ohio Hispanic Coalition (OHCO) was founded in 1990 as an advocacy agency; today it has grown into a multi‐service agency serving the growing Latino/Hispanic community in Ohio. The Mission of OHCO is to improve the well being and quality of life of all Latinos through advocacy, education, training and access to quality services.
 

ABOUT Campaign for High School Equity ‐ The Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE) is a coalition of leading civil rights organizations representing communities of color that is focused on high school education reform. It was formed to address the unequal American public education system, which does not provide high‐quality education to students of color and youth from low‐income neighborhoods.