Press Releases

For Immediate Release

College Board Honors Hispanic College Fund with CollegeKeys Compact Award

For immediate release
February 12, 2010

Contact:
Anne Guarnera
(202) 503-1397
aguarnera@hispanicfund.org

COLLEGE BOARD HONORS HISPANIC COLLEGE FUND WITH COLLEGEKEYS COMPACTTM AWARD
HCF Recognized for Excellence in Helping Students Prepare for College

Washington, DC (February 12, 2010) - Yesterday, the College Board named the Hispanic College Fund as one of three middle states recipients of its CollegeKeys CompactTM Award, an honor given to recognize non-profit innovation in programs that help low-income students get ready, get in and get through college. The Hispanic College Fund's Hispanic Youth Institute (HYI) took the prize in the "Getting Ready" category of the competition.

"In the past six years that we have hosted this program, we've seen the incredible difference that it has made on more than 2,600 alumni. These are students who didn't believe that they were "college material," but after going through our program, they're convinced that they want to go to college - and they know how to get there," said Stina Augustsson, National Director of Pre-College Programs. "We're honored that the College Board has recognized HYI for the impact it has on our students' lives."

Since 2004, the Hispanic Youth Institute has launched each year with the summer Hispanic Youth Symposium. The Symposium, which is currently hosted in eight cities across the country, brings 100-200 Hispanic high school students to a college campus for an intensive four-day, three-night college empowerment program. The curriculum of the Symposium focuses on preparing students for success in college, career and community service. It helps students to build a network of mentors and professional advisors, manage the college admissions and financial aid process, and learn how to be involved in civic service. It also provides students with an opportunity to explore careers in the STEM and business industries through career workshops and connections with working professionals.

After completing the Hispanic Youth Symposium, students are then enrolled in the year-round programming of the Hispanic Youth Institute. Participants are encouraged to start their own grassroots initiatives in their high schools, where they can encourage and educate their peers about the importance of educational and career planning.

To learn more about the Hispanic Youth Institute, visit www.hispanicyouth.org.

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About the Hispanic College Fund

Founded in 1993, the Hispanic College Fund is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., with a mission to develop the next generation of Hispanic professionals. For 15 years, the Hispanic College Fund has provided educational, scholarship, and mentoring programs to students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, establishing a career pipeline of talented and career-driven Hispanics who are trained in the fields of business, science, technology, engineering, and math.

The Hispanic College Fund has an annual budget of $6 million with 20 full-time employees. In 2006, the Hispanic College Fund received the Brillante award for "Nonprofit of the Year" from the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, and in 2007 was recognized by USA Today as one of the nation's top 25 charities. The organization has twice received Charity Navigator's top four-star rating for fiscal responsibility in non-profit management.

Website: www.hispanicfund.org