Excelencia in Education has announced that The Immokalee Foundation’s Career Pathways Program has been selected as one of the 2024 Examples of Excelencia. This program joins three others located across the country that represent what is possible when higher education institutions and organizations intentionally serve Latino students on their journey to and through college.
Programs recognized by Excelencia in Education implement culturally relevant, evidence-based practices that strengthen the skills and needs of their students and surrounding communities.
The Foundation’s Career Pathways Program provides new pathways to success and financial independence through robust programming that prepares students for well-paying, in-demand professional careers in Business Management & Entrepreneurship, Education & Human Services, Engineering & Construction Management, and Healthcare.
Examples of Excelencia is the only national, data-driven effort to identify, aggregate, and promote evidence-based practices increasing Latino student success in higher Education. Each year, four Examples of Excelencia are selected from the associate, baccalaureate, graduate, and community-based organization levels for their intentionality and evidence of effectiveness in positively impacting Latino students. The 2024 Examples emerged from 345 nominations from 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 103 program submissions, and 18 finalists.
“We must make a positive difference in the lives of our college students who trust us to help them meet their education goals. The 2024 Examples of Excelencia are proof of the good work around the country,” said Adriana Rodriguez, COO and vice president for institutional programs at Excelencia in Education. “These programs model what other institutions and organizations can implement in their own communities.”
As an Example of Excelencia, The Immokalee Foundation’s Career Pathways Program is a model of what works for institutional and community leadership seeking asset-based programming that is sustainable, replicable, and data-informed. They demonstrate a deep commitment by improving degree outcomes for Latino and other post-traditional students.
“To receive this national honor for a program just now entering its sixth year is extraordinary,” said Noemi Y. Perez, president and CEO of The Immokalee Foundation. “In addition to the thousands of students who have already benefitted from our Career Pathways curriculum, we share this immense honor with our passionate team and our community of supporters and partners who, through their generosity of spirit and belief in our mission, make this program possible year after year.”
The 2024 Examples of Excelencia are:
- English for Academic Purposes, Reading Area Community College – Reading, PA (Associate Level)
- The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), Washington State University – Pullman, WA (Baccalaureate Level)
- Project upGRADS, California State University, Fullerton – Fullerton, CA (Graduate Level)
- Career Pathways: Empowering Students to Succeed, The Immokalee Foundation, Inc. – Immokalee, FL (Community-Based Organization Level)
Programs selected annually as Examples of Excelencia and finalists are featured online in Excelencia’s Growing What Works Database — the only national, searchable database for institutional leaders, funders, policymakers, and others interested in evidence-based programming for Latino students.
This year’s Examples of Excelencia were announced at the organization’s recent annual Celebración de Excelencia in Washington, D.C.
Learn more about the 2024 Examples of Excelencia: EdExcelencia.org/what-works-examples-excelencia/annual-examples-excelencia
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About Excelencia in Education
Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia in Education leads a national network of results-oriented educators and policymakers to tap the talents of the Latino community and address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders. With this network, Excelencia accelerates Latino student success in higher Education by promoting Latino student achievement, informing educational policies with a Latino lens, and advancing evidence-based practices. In 2024, Excelencia marks 20 years of commitment to Latino student success. For more information, visit: EdExcelencia.org
