El Paso Bright Spot
El Paso Bright Spot
October 1, 2015
Project ARRIBA has been named as one of three programs in El Paso, Texas, that is investing in the success of Hispanics. In commemoration of The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics’ 25th anniversary, a national call for nominations for “Bright Spots” in Hispanic education resulted in 230 featured programs that are supporting and investing in key educational priorities for Hispanics - from cradle to career. Project ARRIBA received recognition for helping close the achievement gap for Hispanics in the areas of College Access and STEM Education.
“Congratulations to Project ARRIBA for its well-deserved recognition by the White House. El Paso has the talent to succeed economically, and programs that nurture an individual’s efforts to grow their talents - and their wages – are tremendously important contributions towards the community’s ability to prosper in the future.” - Texas Senator Jose Rodriguez, District 29
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics was established in 1990 to recognize the critical role Hispanics play in the overall prosperity of the nation and the administration’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities and improving educational outcomes for all students. Since program inception, Project ARRIBA has successfully guided the graduation of 1,100 at-risk students. Job placed graduates no longer depend on government welfare programs but rather are estimated to add $710 million dollars in income to the local economy. Project ARRIBA provides a great return on investment; in fact, the latest impact study prepared by the Institute for Policy and Economic Development at UTEP revealed that for every dollar invested in the program, $24 is returned back to El Paso.