ENLACE (Engaging Latino Communities for Education), the Bronx Institute at Lehman College’s academic enrichment program for college-bound Latinos, is expanding! When the newly recruited cohort of seventh-graders arrives in the fall, they will join a dynamic group of eighth, tenth, and eleventh grade peers who have been selected from schools across The Bronx for the rigorous two-year program. ENLACE’s expansion is being funded next year through the generous support of the following foundations: Edwin Gould Foundation ($25,000); New York Life Foundation ($100,000); and Toyota USA Foundation ($135,000).

“The Institute is very grateful for the support of these foundations,” said Professor Herminio Martinez, the Executive Director of the Bronx Institute at Lehman College and a member of the faculty of Middle and High School Education. “Each passing year of student achievement, innovative teaching, and fundraising success is further evidence that ENLACE’s educational model is both sound and replicable.”

Established in 2001, ENLACE at Lehman College is unique in New York City. Students are invited to apply based on recommendations from their school principals; Bronx Institute faculty evaluate each candidate’s grades, recommendations, personal statement, test scores, motivation, and leadership potential. Students receive year-round, advanced instruction in math and science, and they have access to paid internships and summer study opportunities at renowned research institutions and universities. Classes are taught by Lehman faculty and held on campus, giving students an opportunity to experience college life. Families attend workshops to learn about researching and choosing a high school and a college appropriate to their child’s interests, and students are guided by Bronx Institute faculty during the college application process. Professional organizations such as Princeton Review or Kaplan provide New York State Regents and SAT test preparation; the average SAT score for the current graduating cohort was 1610.

ENLACE students who are now graduating will attend the following colleges this fall: (1) Public universities in New York City: Lehman College, City College of New York, Hunter College, John Jay College, York College; (2) Private colleges and universities outside of New York State: Boston College, Connecticut College, Emerson College, Grinnell College, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wesleyan University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; (3) Private colleges and universities in New York City: Fordham University, Pace University; (4) Private colleges and universities outside of New York City: Cornell University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Marist College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Syracuse University; and (5) Public colleges and universities in New York State: SUNY at Albany, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY at Buffalo, SUNY Oswego.

Posted on: June 13, 2011
Article published on: June 13, 2011 | by: The Bronx Institute
Article published on: June 20, 2011 | by: Lehman Today