About
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Futuro Ahora (Future Now) is a foundational workshop aimed at targeting high school Spanish speaking families with resources and preparation for college education. Many students may not focus on building a good high school resume ( extracurriculars, challenging classes, or a specialized area of study ) until college application junior year, where students' schedules may already be filled. We help check in with students, fostering a strong community at BCC to address any questions and ensure they are on track for college applications.
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You can never understand one language until you understand at least two. (Geoffrey Willans)
The Issue
Close to half of Hispanics who have not obtained a four-year degree (47%) say they just did not want to pursue one. ( Pew Research 2022). About three-fifths of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students who dropped out over the last three years were Latino. (MCM 2019) .
Socioeconomic and cultural factors have inhibited Spanish speaking students from engaging in challenging classes and building strong relationships with their teachers. As Hispanic students proceed through the educational system, inadequate school resources and cultural walls can undermine their academic success. Initial disadvantages continue to accumulate, resulting in Hispanics having the lowest rates of high school and college degree attainment, which hinders their chances for stable employment.
Our Vision
The approach of this non-profit involves the formation of monthly meetings and engagement of mentors to help guide Latino students in the core steps to preparing and succesfuly applying for college. This includes:
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Curriculum review: to ensure students are taking challenging and on-topic courses to set them up for college application
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Positioning: to help students identify their "narrative"as early as freshman year to continue building until graduation- consistency is key.
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Networks: This community of volunteers becomes the first point of contact and a bridge to get connected with specialized necessary assistance- like affordable SAT prep, free tutoring, etc