Sometimes, it’s not about what you know, but who you know, or if you know where to go for the help or information needed. “Hispanic students have the cultural disadvantage of not being familiar with the system of higher education. US citizens know the process of financial aid, school selection and application. They know what questions to ask and when to submit information. Hispanic students find themselves alone in unfamiliar territory” (Hispanic students face tough obstacles on road to higher education, report says, 2003).
These organizations, and their websites and information can provide much needed
assistance to underrepresented populations, and to educators and community leaders
in learning more about underrepresented populations and their rights. These
are only a few of the national and international organizations. There are many
more local resources and organizations at the community, city, and state level.
National Community Education Association
http://www.ncea.com/
National Center for Community Education
http://www.nccenet.org/
is committed to the improvement of the full spectrum of library and information
services for the approximately 22 million Spanish-speaking and Hispanic people
in the United States. REFORMA has actively sought to promote the development
of library collections to include Spanish-language and Hispanic oriented materials;
the recruitment of more bilingual and bicultural library professionals and support
staff; the development of library services and programs which meet the needs
of the Hispanic community; the establishment of a national information and support
network among individuals who share our goals; the education of the U.S. Hispanic
population in regards to the availability and types of library services; and
lobbying efforts to preserve existing library resource centers serving the interests
of Hispanics.
The National Council of Teachers of English
The NCTE is devoted to improving the teaching of English and the language arts
at all levels of education. Since 1911, NCTE has provided a forum for the profession,
an array of opportunities for teachers to continue their professional growth
throughout their careers, and a framework for cooperation to deal with issues
that affect the teaching of English.
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education is a professional accrediting organization for schools, colleges, and departments of education in the United States. They set national professional standards that help to assure quality in the preparation of teachers and other school specialists, and implement the accreditation process to determine which institutions meet the standards.
National Association for Bilingual Education
The National Association for Bilingual Education is a national membership organization founded in 1975 to address the educational needs of language-minority students in the U.S. and to advance the language competencies and multicultural understanding of all Americans.
National Association for Multicultural Education
The National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) was founded to bring together individuals from all academic levels and disciplines and from diverse educational institutions, and other organizations, occupations and communities who had an interest in multicultural education. NAME is committed to a philosophy of inclusion that embraces the basic tenets of democracy and cultural pluralism. NAME celebrates cultural and ethnic diversity as a national strength that enriches a society and rejects the view that diversity threatens the fabric of a society. NAME believes that multicultural education promotes equity for all regardless of culture, ethnicity, race, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, belief system or exceptionality. NAME believes that multicultural education enables the individual to believe in one's own intrinsic worth and culture, to transcend monoculturalism and, ultimately, to become multicultural.
Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York and housed at Teachers College, Columbia University. The Commission goals are to: identify the implications for teaching embodied in current school reforms; examine what steps need to be taken to guarantee all children access to skilled, knowledgeable, and committed teachers working in schools that are capable of meeting the nation's educational goals; and develop a comprehensive blueprint for recruiting, preparing, and supporting a teaching force that can meet 21st-century standards of high educational performance.
The Linguistic Society of America was founded in 1924 for the advancement of the scientific study of language. The Society serves its nearly 7,000 personal and institutional members through scholarly meetings, publications, and special activities designed to advance the discipline. An interest in linguistics is the only requirement for membership. The Society is an affiliate of the Permanent International Committee of Linguists (CIPL), a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), a member of the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA), the National Humanities Alliance (NHA), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and promote the civil rights of the more than 29 million Latinos living in the United States.
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
HACU has grown to more than 179 member institutions located in 14 states, Puerto Rico and six countries. As a national association representing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), HACU's work is to promote nonprofit, accredited colleges and universities where Hispanics constitute a minimum of 25 percent of the enrollment at either the graduate or undergraduate level. HACU's mission is to promote the development of member colleges and universities; To improve access to and the quality of post-secondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students; and To meet the needs of business, industry and government through the development and sharing of resources, information and expertise. Of note is The HACU National Internship Program. The HACU National Internship Program (HNIP) works with HSIs, federal agencies and corporations to recruit well-qualified and motivated students. Students selected for the program are undergraduate and graduate students, have a minimum 3.0 GPA and are active in community and campus activities. HNIP began in 1992 and has placed thousands of students in federal and corporate internships across the nation.
The Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium is a professional organization that serves a membership involved in both education and high technology. CALICO has an emphasis on modern language teaching and learning, but reaches out to all areas that employ the languages of the world to instruct and to learn. CALICO is a clearinghouse in computer assisted learning and instruction.