NCLR, PepsiCo Foundation, and American YouthWorks
Launch Escalera Program for Austin’s High School Students

Austin, TX– The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will join with one of its Affiliates, American YouthWorks, and the PepsiCo Foundation to launch the NCLR Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success – an initiative that encourages and helps Latino youth to graduate from high school, prepare for college, and explore career opportunities. American YouthWorks will be the site of the first NCLR Escalera Program in Austin. The program launch will take place on Tuesday, March 18, at American YouthWorks in Austin beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The pilot for the NCLR Escalera Program was launched in 2002 in Los Angeles with support from the PepsiCo Foundation and PepsiCo Inc. as a strategy to increase the number of Latino students who graduate from high school. The Escalera program has expanded to six cities across the country and provides support and services that improve opportunities for Hispanic youth to attend college and attain the skills needed for high-paying jobs. To date, the NCLR Escalera Program has served 181 Latino youth, with 96% graduating from high school and 94% enrolling in college.

MEDIA ADVISORY

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