Background on HHF:

Established in 1987 by the White House to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) is a 501c3, nonprofit, leadership organization which leverages established programs, effective platforms, and influential relationships to meet America’s priorities in the classroom, community and workforce. HHF also provides role models, cultural pride and a promising future through public awareness campaigns and special events.  HHF is celebrating their 25^th Anniversary in 2011 and will look back on accomplishments but more importantly look forward to a greater impact on the Latino community and America through their leadership programs.

HHF has developed a unique approach by creating a “Leadership Pipeline” of community service, education and the workforce by indentifying, inspiring, preparing and positioning Latino leaders through the following programs on this website:

HISPANIC HERITAGE YOUTH AWARDS:

Since 1998, this national leadership program identifies, inspires, prepares and positions a vetted network of Latino high school seniors who have excelled in the classroom and community in various categories including: Science, Math, Education, Engineering, Healthcare, Business & Finance, Technology, and Innovation. A teacher is also honored in each region. 

After receiving 10,000 applications (all applicants are invited to join the HHF Network – not just the selected Youth Awardees) after a national search through social media, celebrity-based PSAs, a partnership with over 6,000 high schools, media, elected officials and business and community organizations – HHF honors hundreds of Latino high school seniors during special ceremonies at partner universities in the 10 regions.  Regions include San Jose/San Francisco-Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Austin/San Antonio, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Miami, Washington, DC, and New York/Philadelphia/New Jersey.

A National Youth Awards ceremony is executed after one national recipient is selected in each of the categories.  A celebrity is also honored for serving as a role model to Latino Youth.  In 2010, Actress America Ferrera was honored along with seven National Youth Awardees on Capitol Hill with Grammy-winning Singer Luis Enrique performing.  MTV filmed vignettes of the students as part of HHF’s public awareness campaign to promote the positives Latino youth offer America and promote them as role models.

To meet America’s need for leadership, the young leaders are provided with leadership training and funneled into HHF’s other programs while being tracked as they move forward into the workforce and communities beyond college.  The median GPA for the Youth Awardees is more than a 3.5 and are well rounded in terms of service, leadership and accomplishments. 

SPEAKERS BUREAU: 

Research has found that Latinos needing guidance outside the home more than any other segment of population in terms of education and career choice among other issues yet have less access to guidance counselors or parents about their education or career path – which are why HHF developed this program. 

This outreach program features past and present Youth Awards recipients visiting grade schools, high schools, and community centers to provide inspiration and a vision for younger Latinos to succeed by providing their own stories as a realistic pathway for success.  The “near peer” program reaches thousands of youth by providing role models who stay in touch through social networking. The younger students follow the path of the Speakers as they attend college, work in internships and even get on a career track.  The program also delivers important messages about career or educational opportunities in STEM, business, education and other fields as well as messages about healthy lifestyles and financial literacy.

LOFT (LATINOS ON FAST TRACK): 

The Latinos On Fast Track (LOFT) program is focused on providing the public and private sector workforce with vetted, well-rounded, top, emerging Latino professionals to move America forward. LOFT is a workforce program which systematically identifies, prepares, places and retains emerging Latino students and young professionals on a management track in key fields including business and finance, education, green, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields among others.  LOFT has tens of thousands of members who range between the ages of 18-27, which allows LOFT to focus on high school students, college and grad school students and young professionals.

Through the LOFT Institute, the LOFT members receive leadership training, mentoring, career path inspiration and awareness through “vertical” summits/boot camps/symposiums and certifications in key fields. LOFT Leadership trainings and Vertical seminars take throughout the year at colleges and appropriate venues.  The events can be commissioned by sponsors or developed to meet the demand of LOFT members.  Industry and Latino leaders in various fields participate with HHF team and sponsors.  HHF follows up with emerging professionals to create a measurable result for sponsors who are trying to diversity their workforce or industry.  The LOFT Institute also conducts research and measures the effectiveness of the all HHF programs.  

The key to LOFT’s success is its flexibility to meet the sponsor’s (corporate, non-profit or government agency) unique diversity needs by tailoring an industry or sponsor-specific pipeline or feeding existing diversity initiatives including internship and full-time recruitment.  LOFT provides Fortune 500 companies and government agencies with emerging Latino professionals for internships, full-time positions and platforms to promote their company or industry to increase the pool of talent. 

The LOFT is fed by the HHF pipeline: 10,000 Youth Awards applicants annually; thousands more through member recruitment, special events, and professional/college networks; and countless more through social media and advertising. 

The LOFT team is divided into three sections:

•             Executive Team: LOFT Chair, LOFT Director, and LOFT Coordinator who oversee LOFT Fellows and administration of LOFT program and LOFT Institute; 

•             Regional Team: LOFT Fellows across America oversee Campus Coordinators;

•             “Vertical” Team: LOFT Fellows who focus on key industries or issues. 

LOFT executes an internal “multi-level marketing strategy” by tasking key “influencers” within the network to engage and mobilize the tens of thousands of vetted members who are called LOFT Fellows.  The LOFT Fellows are part of the LOFT network tasked with overseeing the program’s recruitment and outreach for fast, accessible and effective mobilization across industries and regions. Visit www.LOFTInstitute.org for LOFT announcements.

MI MENTORS:

Mi Mentors was created to assure Latino college students graduate from college after beating the odds of making it into higher education.  By providing underclassmen with upperclassman support, the Mentors (members of HHF’s leadership network) focus on five main areas: academic, cultural, financial aid, social, and career paths.  The Mentors receive educational grants for participating and are assigned up to 15 underclassmen each after being trained by the American School Counselor Association and HHF.  The college “mentees” are provided with a “safe space” where they will feel comfortable coming together and discussing the challenges they face in college while being buoyed by a support group of other students going through the same challenges.  The sessions, called “Charlas,” take place monthly but communication is constant with the Mentor and other underclassmen through social networking which is facilitated by HHF.  The mentees then have the opportunity to be Mentors when they become upperclassmen and pass on knowledge and advice to younger Latinos with the same challenges they had – which creates a sustainable model for the program.

The program has been adapted for high school students to improve the graduation rate which is afflicting the Latino community at only 55 percent.  The Mentors, who are college students, are deployed and trained by ASCA and HHF to provide disenfranchised students with guidance counselor/mentor/role model who believe, listen, and provide guidance and encouragement for them to succeed in the classroom and community while focusing on various fields such as STEM, business and convey messages about issues such as financial literacy and healthy lifestyles.  The after-school program takes place weekly and focuses on social, academic, cultural, career and character development.  The program seeks to offset the shortage of guidance counselors (e.g. in California the ratio is 900 students to one guidance counselor). 

HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARDS:

The Hispanic Heritage Awards have honored notable Latinos who have distinguished themselves in various fields and made an impact on America and globally. The Awards are considered the highest honor by Hispanics for Hispanics in America and takes place at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.  Young leaders are also honored during the ceremony.  (www.TheHispanicHeritageAwards.com.) In 2011, the Hispanic Heritage Awards mark their 25th Anniversary, which is also the anniversary of Hispanic Heritage Month in America. 

The ceremony will once again take place in front of more than 1,000 business and community leaders, Congressional Members, international community, celebrities and past recipients (the program is hosted by over 45 national Latino-serving organizations). The program is unique because scientist, physicians, researchers, educators, elected officials and business leaders stand alongside cultural superstars who have distinguished themselves through service. Young leaders also take the stage during the “youth” segment of the program.  Additional events include a youth leadership summit and festive After-Party and special reception for Honorees. 

Last year, the Awardees included:  Juan Luis Guerra (Arts); Alejandro Sanz (Vision); Cong. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) (Leadership); Don Francisco (Legend); Monika Mantilla (Business); Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Sports); Jaime Escalante (posthumous for Education); and America Ferrera (Inspira).  The 2011 will be announced by mid-year. 

The Awards have traditionally been broadcast on television and the Armed Forces Network (HHF is currently in negotiations to broadcast program on television).  To commemorate the 25th Anniversary, the Awards will be adapted to serve as a multi-media, educational tool distributed by HHF to parents and partners, which include over 5,000 schools, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, libraries, among others, as a way to educate Americans about Latino role models and heroes as well as instill cultural pride while demolishing negative stereotypes. 

For video links of last year’s Honorees visit:

Alejandro Sanz Vision                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LypXHf9ZRzs

Monika Mantilla Business            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ4HIgQQ77o

Juan Luis Guerra Arts                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lwbUj2EgU0

Cong. Gutierrez Leadership         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aow4y0ZW0S4

Don Francisco Legend                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3lNdIS0qk

America Ferrera Youth                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryZHTmRvXNY

Cuauhtemoc Blanco Sports         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kKZ_YcYN_M

Jaime Escalante Education          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzb78wraJpw

Performances included:

Belinda                        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9VBk-KPWVA

Jencarlos Canela                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZM8l2oca-k

Camila                           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZM8l2oca-k

Luis Enrique                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU_HQST8C0I

PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN:

In an effort to inspire and provide a vision for Latinos, while shattering negative stereotypes, HHF executes multi-media public awareness campaigns to promote cultural pride, accomplishment and community growth by highlighting young and established Latino role models through a high-profile, user-generated content effort. The campaigns features Latinos in business, STEM fields, public service, education, and entertainment such as physicians, astronauts, researchers, celebrities, and most importantly, students. Over a million are reached through the program, which focuses on social media as well as traditional media partners to reach broader audiences. For an example of HHF’s campaigns please visit our http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1UUfAjgbmw highlighting young leaders in an effort to inspire and destroy negative stereotypes.