CHAPEL HILL (October 12, 2021) – The 2020 U.S. Census revealed that Latinx people now account for more than 10% of North Carolinians – and if Latinx students don’t succeed, North Carolina won’t succeed.

But a virtual summit Wednesday and Thursday will discuss the current state of Latinx education in North Carolina and ways to improve it for Latinx students.

“This is an opportunity for students, for teachers, for educators, for families to be able to come and join in on a critical conversation around the current state and future of Latinx education in North Carolina,” Elaine Townsend Utin, Co-Founder and Executive Director of LatinxEd, says in the accompanying video.

“Over a two-day virtual experience, folks will be able to join in on these conversations as you listen to Latinx families and students and educators explore their experiences and also identify ways that we can all collectively increase Latinx student success,” Utin says.

LatinxEd is a nonprofit committed to identifying and supporting Latinx leaders and expanding educational equity and opportunity in North Carolina.

Both days of the online summit will begin with a virtual cafecito/networking session at 3 p.m.Other sessions include:

Wednesday, Oct. 13

• 4-5 pm – Co-Founders Elaine Townsend Utin and Ricky Hurtado will provide an update on LatinxEd’s work. They will be joined by Dr. Rebecca Tippett of Carolina Demography to discuss trends in Latinx population growth in North Carolina.

• 5-6 pm – Latinx educators will discuss a glaring lack of Latinx teachers in the classroom.

Thursday, Oct. 14

• 4-4:50 pm –Going to a 2- or 4-year college or university has been dramatically disrupted by COVID-19. A student panel led by UNC-Chapel Hill Morehead-Cain Scholar Melanie Godinez Cedillo will explore ways to support students in highly uncertain times.

• 5-5:50 pm –Latinx parents and caregivers faced enormous challenges communicating and forming relationships with schools even before the pandemic. LatinxEd partners here with parents and ISLA NC to discuss how to center parent voices to ensure students’ progress and educational equity.

• 6-6:30 pm –LatinxEd Co-Founders Elaine Townsend Utin and Ricky Hurtado share closing remarks.

Register for the 2021 Latinx Education Summit HERE.