NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, Mass., Sept. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of Univision Communications' multi-year initiative to promote educational attainment in Hispanic America, ¡Edúcate, Es El Momento! (Educate Yourself, The Moment is Now), the leading media company has partnered with CollegeWeekLiveä to offer a free online college fair on Thursday, October 11, 2012. The college admissions event, which will be available at www.eselmomento.com, is part of Univision's Education Week and will address the higher education needs of Hispanic students and their families.
The interactive program, which runs nationwide from 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm ET, will provide free access to expert college admissions advice through streaming video presentations and live chat with college representatives. The online college fair addresses higher education topics of particular importance to Latino families – both students and their parents, who may not have experience with the college application process and could be apprehensive about sending their children away to college.
"The goal is to create a culture of college readiness in the Hispanic community and focus specifically on what is necessary for college completion," said Cesar Conde, president, Univision Networks. "The addition of a free online college fair powered by CollegeWeekLive to Univision's Education Week will help students and parents to better understand what the process is to get into college, and what steps are needed to earn a degree."
Nationally, Latinos have a 14 percent lower college graduation rate than non-Hispanic whites, and Latinos lag behind other racial groups by 25 percent when comparing the number of degrees attained. Latinos make up 16 percent of the overall population and 22 percent of the K-12 population, yet only 19 percent of Latinos in America have earned an associate degree or higher compared to 38 percent of all adults, according to a research study conducted by EdExcelencia cited in USA TODAY. Because Latinos make up one sixth of the total population, Latino educational attainment is at the heart of the future economic viability of the United States.
"The growing population of Latino students represents an enormous opportunity for colleges and universities. Higher education best contributes to a thriving democratic society when we educate students from all walks of life, including students who are the first in their families to go to college," said Fernando M. Reimers, the Ford Foundation Professor of International Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Program Chair for the event. "I admire the leadership provided by CollegeWeekLive and Univision in producing this rich and comprehensive program to empower Latino students and families with knowledge that will help them chart a path to college."
Admissions representatives from more than 120 colleges will be standing by, ready to chat live online with students and their families in English and Spanish. Online video programming, with the ability for online attendees to get live answers to their questions via chat, includes:
THURSDAY OCTOBER 11, 2012 (All Times Eastern)
12 PM, Welcome Address
Fernando Reimers, Program Chair, Ford Foundation Professor of International Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
12 PM, The Write Stuff: Craft College Essays, Letters of Recommendation and Applications That Get You Admitted
Zaragoza Guerra, Director, Educational Consulting
12 PM, College Planning: Planning Your Future
Juan Garcia, Assistant Vice President Educational Services, ACT
1 PM, Hidden Gems of Financial Aid Opportunities
Stella Flores, Assistant Professor, Department of Leadership, Policy & Organizations, Vanderbilt University, Ed.M., Ed.D., Harvard Graduate School of Education, M.P. Aff, University of Texas at Austin
2 PM, The Application Process
Natalie Galindo, Development and Communications Associate, College Track Ed.M., Harvard Graduate School of Education
3 PM, La importancia de Estudia a Nivel Universitario
Sonia Briseno Castellanos, Program Director at Con mi Madre, MSW, University of Texas at Austin, BS, St. Edward's University
4 PM, Financial Aid Process
Leslie Acosta-Martin, US Department of Education
5 PM, From Applicant to Graduate
Rob Alexander, Associate Provost of Enrollment, University of the Pacific
5 PM, Researching Scholarships
Sylvia Pertzborn, Program Director, Hispanic Scholarship Fund 6:00 PM, Cómo investigar becas Griselda Macias, Outreach Coordinator, Hispanic Scholarship Fund
7 PM, How to Help Your Child Get to and Succeed in College
Eleonora Villegas-Reimers, Associate Professor Human Development, Wheelock College?Ed.M., Ed.D., Harvard Graduate School of Education, B.S., Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)
7 PM, Academic Skills to Help You Succeed in College
Sandra Licon, Senior Consultant, Education First, Ed.M., Harvard Graduate School of Education, BS, Georgetown University. Board member, Communities for Teaching Excellence, Teach For Mexico, Univision Network Es El Momento campaign
8 PM, Education Excelencia
Deborah A. Santiago, co-founder and Vice President for Policy and Research at Excelencia in Education, board member, Latin American Youth Center (DC), National Association for College Admission Counseling. Advisory Board Member, Univision Network Es El Momento campaign, Pathways to College Network
8 PM, Los padres en el proceso de admission a la universidad
Adriana Flores-Ragade, Director, Diversity Initiatives, The College Board
9 PM, Padres Comprometidos al Exito de sus Hijos
Feliza Ortiz-Licon, Ed.D., Regional Director of Education, National Council of La Raza
Es el momento was launched by Univision in February 2010 in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education and community, education and civil rights groups from around the country. Univision Communications will publicize Education Week and the online college fair through exclusive programming across Univision Networks' signature shows, on its website and through social platforms including @eselmomento on Twitter and Facebook. Univision Local Media television and radio stations around the country will broadcast special segments in their newscasts, host workshops and man phone banks. To learn more, and to register for free for the upcoming online college fair, visit www.eselmomento.com.
ABOUT COLLEGEWEEKLIVE
CollegeWeekLiveä (www.CollegeWeekLive.com) is the leading website for free online college fairs and admissions events. At CollegeWeekLive, college-bound students can chat live with admissions representatives, see college students sharing their campuses experiences live via video, and learn from video presentations on the college application and admissions process. CollegeWeekLive revolutionizes college admissions, making it easier and more cost-effective by bringing students, parents, counselors and colleges together online, transcending time and distance. Since 2007, over 1 million students from 191 countries have visited CollegeWeekLive to seek out expert advice on their college choice. CollegeWeekLive, CollegeWeekLive Counselor Network and the CollegeWeekLive Advisor Center are trademarks of CollegeWeekLive, Inc. All other trademarks or service marks are property of their respective owners.
ABOUT UNIVISION'S ES EL MOMENTO
Es El Momento, launched in February 2010, is Univision's comprehensive, multi-platform, national education initiative aimed at improving academic achievement among K-12 Hispanic students. The initiative focuses on college readiness, high school and college completion, as well as engaging Hispanic parents and the broader community. This effort is conducted in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, community, education and civil rights groups from around the country. Other partners include ASPIRA, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and NASA. As the premier media company serving the U.S. Hispanic community, Univision's mission is to inform, entertain and empower Hispanics. Es El Momento builds on Univison's legacy of supporting community initiatives of importance to Hispanic America, including education, health and civic engagement.
ABOUT UNIVISION COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. Its assets include Univision Network, one of the top five networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country reaching 96% of U.S. Hispanic households; TeleFutura Network, a general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network reaching 88% of U.S. Hispanic households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the country's leading Spanish-language cable network, as well as Univision tlnovelas, a new 24-hour cable network dedicated to novelas, Univision Deportes Network, a new 24-hour cable network dedicated to sports, ForoTV, a new 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to news, and an additional suite of six cable offerings - De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson, Telehit and Clásico TV; Univision Studios, which produces and co-produces reality shows, dramatic series and other programming formats for the Company's platforms; Univision Television Group, which owns and/or operates 62 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, the leading Hispanic radio group which owns and/or operates 69 radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Interactive Media, a network of national and local online and mobile sites including Univision.com, which continues to be the #1 most-visited Spanish-language website among U.S. online Hispanics, Univision Móvil, a longstanding industry-leader with unique, relevant mobile products and services, and Univision Partner Group, a specialized advertising and publisher network. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit Univision.net.
CONTACTS:
Priscilla Senior, Univision Networks, 305-640-3592, psenior@univision.net
Martha Collins, CollegeWeekLive, (781) 237-7770, mcollins@CollegeWeekLive.com
WHO Hispanic/Latino Teens and their families
WHAT Free Online College Fair as part of Univision Education Week
WHEN Thursday, October 11, 2012 12:00 to 10:00 PM Eastern
WHERE Online at www.eselmomento.com
WHY Chat live with admissions representatives from 120 colleges; Watch videos on topics such as the college application process and finding scholarships; Get answers to your questions about college
CollegeWeekLiveä (www.CollegeWeekLive.com) is the leading website for free online college fairs and admissions events. At CollegeWeekLive, college-bound students can chat live with admissions representatives, see college students sharing their campuses experiences live via video, and learn from video presentations on the college application and admissions process.
CollegeWeekLive revolutionizes college admissions, making it easier and more cost-effective by bringing students, parents, counselors and colleges together online, transcending time and distance. Since 2007, over 1 million students from 191 countries have visited CollegeWeekLive to seek out expert advice on their college choice.
CollegeWeekLive, CollegeWeekLive Counselor Network and the CollegeWeekLive Advisor Center are trademarks of CollegeWeekLive, Inc. All other trademarks or service marks are property of their respective owners.