Alcanzando Metas Foundation

 Alcanzando Metas open Three new After School Programs

We are pleased to announce the implementation of the Alcanzando Metas (Reaching Goals) After school Program in selected high schools and one middle school for the 2007-08 school year. In collaboration with the Extended Education Programs Office, the Alcanzando Metas Foundation will provide an after school program focused on language minority female students that strives to prepare them with lifelong learning skills, particularly for science, mathematics and engineering fields. In addition, there is a college preparatory program. Mentoring and the application of Covey’s Successful Habits at school. Taught by highly qualified facilitators, students will engage in biweekly afterschool sessions throughout the school year, structured around a customized curriculum.

For Immediate Release Press Release for 3.31.07 Event.doc

Contact:

Laura Drain

202-835-1557

laura@metas.org

1^st Young Women’s Conference on Access to Non Traditional Careers

Washington, D.C., (March 15, 2007) - The 1^st Young Women’s Conference on Access to Non Traditional Careers sponsored by the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) – Office of Career & Technical Education (CTE) and Alcanzando Metas Foundation to be held on March 31, 2007 at the City Club of Washington, D.C., Franklin Square 1300 I Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20005. Prominent professionals in Health, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics will conduct seminars to encourage high school students from the District of Columbia schools to aspire to careers in those fields.

The DC Public Schools is implementing Career and Technical Education through 12 Career Academies adopted from the 16 national career clusters endorsed by the US Department of Education and the National Association of Sate Directors of Career Technical Education. Career and Technical Education is a planned program of—sequenced courses and related work-based learning experiences that complement and support rigorous academic and employability skill development. CTE elevates traditional “Vocational Education” to meet the skill demand of the 21^st Century economy and workforce. Career and Technical Education is an integral component of the Master Education Plan to transform the District of Columbia Public Schools into a “World Class Public School System.”

Ms. Laura Drain, the Executive Director of Alcanzando Metas Foundation, a non profit 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to support academic progress, emphasizes that this year “we want to provide at least 150 young women in grades 9 through 12, from the District of Columbia Public Schools a solid strategy to weigh their options for non-traditional careers – both college-based and technical school-based. The goals of the conference are to increase empowerment, self-worth, self-care, and self esteem; and to increase awareness of the how, what, where and when of achieving career goals. The conference will also permit the students to network with successful female role modes from the federal and private sector.”

According to Mr. Eduardo Peńa, Chair of the Board, “The Alcanzando Metas Foundation is set up to foster the academic excellence of young women. The Foundation’s mission is to support academic success in science, mathematics, and technology, with attention to English language proficiency as it impacts academic progress. The Foundation aims to help these young people become productive citizens for the global, high-tech American society of the 21^st century.”

Ms. Adriana Ocampo, will be the keynote speaker at the March 31^st conference. Ms. Ocampo is a NASA scientist whose life story was published as part of a series of books named Women’s Adventures in Science, underwritten by the National Academy of Sciences. The book, entitled Space Rocks: The Story of Planetary Geologist Adriana Ocampo describes how Ms. Ocampo’s “imagination and can-do attitude led her to a life of science adventures.”

Sponsors for this conference include the Mayor’s Office of Latino Affairs, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, National Academy of Sciences, Verizon Communications, and Shell Oil Company.

The conference is open to female high school students and school administrators from the District of Columbia Public Schools. To obtain additional information about this and future events contact organizers at 202-835-1557 or ldrain@ametas.org or visit www.ametas.org.

Press_Release_1English.pdf

Alcanzando Metas Foundation lanched with the objective to help Hispanic High School youth women to go College in Washington D.C.

Washington, D.C March 30, 2006.- The Alcanzando Metas Foundation held a luncheon on September 28 at the City Club of Washington, D.C., Franklin Square , where it announced the launch of its after-school academic program for Hispanic youth.

The new foundation plans on starting the enrichment program this fall at Roosevelt High School, in Northwest Washington, with the support of Mayor Office on Latino Affair, District Columbia. Thirty young women have been selected from the school. Key to the program will be a close coordination with the school’s teachers and administration. The school’s principal, Dr. Hosh welcomed the new program, “We are looking forward to working with Alcanzando Metas Foundation to help Latino’s at the school succeed and go to college.”

The idea for the program originated from the organization’s founder, Ms. Laura Drain, who established an after-school enrichment program in Jefferson County, Alabama, in partnership with NASA and Lawson Community College. The foundation plans on establishing a series of educational and mentoring programs supporting the academic success of Hispanic young women. The foundation envisions these students achieving academic excellence with Hispanic values.

“America needs more trained professionals to compete effectively in the 21^st century information economy, and many Hispanics need academic support to help them enter this economy. With academic support, more Hispanics can graduate from high school and move on college. The growing Hispanic community offers America a pool of professionals to meet the demands of the 21^st century” noted Laura Drain, the foundation’s founder and executive director.