College Gets Grant to Woo More Latinos

Santa Ana College has received a $1.6-million foundation grant as part of a national program to increase the number of Latinos graduating from high school and college in the next four years.

In all, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Mich., passed out $28 million to increase Latino graduation rates in California, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, New York and Texas.

In addition to the grant, Santa Ana College has received $3.8 million from the Santa Ana Unified School District, UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton--which will serve as partners with the community college--and from the private sector, said Lilia Tanakeyowma, director of student services at Santa Ana College.

“We’re not just pushing attitude and social activities,” she said. “It’s the academic rigor.”

The money will be used for programs ranging from preschool to college. The programs will include college visits for all fifth-graders in Santa Ana Unified schools so they begin to see where they should be headed, Tanakeyowma said. When children are ready to move from middle school to high school, parents from the high school will visit the parents of the prospective students to tell them what to expect and how to help their children.

“It’ll almost be like a political campaign,” Tanakeyowma said. “We’ll come by and knock on the door.”

Another program will ensure seventh-graders take pre-algebra classes. If they’re not studying the subject by eighth grade, they have a reduced chance of being accepted to college, Tanakeyowma said.

“If they’re weak in math, they’ll get two periods of math,” she said. “If they’re still weak, we’ll give them tutoring.”