White House initiative leader to Skype with students

A White House initiative leader will join Grand Valley State University students via two Skype sessions on October 6 and 7.

Marco Davis, deputy director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, will discuss the challenges Latin@ students face in education, what steps the government is taking to meet these challenges and what the education system is doing to attract and retain Latin@ students in classrooms. Latin@ refers to both males (Latino) and females (Latina) who are Hispanic.

Monday, October 6
4:30-5:30 p.m.
Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room

Tuesday, October 7
4-5 p.m.
Mary Idema Pew Library, Multipurpose Room

Mayra Fortes González, assistant professor of Spanish at Grand Valley, encourages students of all ethnicities to attend the presentations.
 
“It will be very beneficial for students to understand why not everyone has access to the same opportunities,” said Fortes González. “It will give them a more well-rounded perspective on how class, ethnicity and gender impacts people’s access to education.”

In 2012 Davis was appointed to assist in the execution of President Obama’s efforts to improve the academic achievements of the nation’s Hispanic students.

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics aims to connect key individuals and organizations from across the United States to increase awareness of educational inequalities by sharing programs and resources available in various communities. Initiative staff work alongside a national network of community leaders to provide real-time input and advice on the development, implementation and coordination of education policy and programs that impact the Hispanic community.

The event is sponsored by Grand Valley’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, Latin@ Student Initiative, Latin@ Faculty/Staff Association, and the Modern Languages and Literatures Department.

The Latin@ Student Initiative aims to improve the academic and social success of Latin@ students and to increase the Latin@ population on campus. The committee is comprised of faculty, staff and community members.

For more information, contact Natalia Gomez at (616) 331-3462 or [email protected].