The day of media and technology workshops aims to help Young Latinas realize that college is attainable

DALLAS, Tex. (April 12, 2013) – Latinitas, the first and only magazine made for and by young Latinas, is partnering with Dallas-based Latinas Inspiring Vision and Excellence (L.I.V.E.) for a fun day of digital media education centered around college attainment, financing and culture.

Girls ages 9-18 are invited to attend Latinitas’ inaugural Dallas College Chica conference, which will include workshops, a college student panel at lunch and a local keynote speaker presenting on the value of academic pursuit.

Sessions on video production, photography and blogging will feature investigative activities on why college is important, what it is like and how to afford it.

Latinitas, a national 501(c)3 non-profit, is hosting the Dallas College Chica Conference on May 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30pm at the Eastfield College Pleasant Grove Campus at 802 South Buckner. The event is free and no previous digital media experience is required. Visit https://latinitas.ticketbud.com/latinitas-college-chica-dallas or call 469.834.3766 to register.

College Chica is Latinitas’ signature conference and will be traveling to Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and El Paso, Tex. throughout the year.  Young Latinas are suffering the highest rates of school drop out of all their peers and College Chica is a direct effort to curb those statistics by demystifying the college experience for Hispanics and other youth.

About Latinitas

Established in 2002 by Laura Donnelly-Gonzalez and Alicia Rascon, Latinitas aims to empower young Latinas through media and technology. The 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization has been a vital part of young Latinas’ lives through after-school programs, teen internships, Saturday and Summer camps, special events, and the very first on-line e-zine for young Latinas—www.latinitasmagazine.org. The bilingual magazine – written for and by young Latinas – provides a vehicle whereby these girls and young women not only see themselves positively reflected, but are also a part of the production.

Latinitas has:

• served over 20,000 elementary, middle and high school Latinas through its after-school enrichment programs and spring and summer camps

• published over 1,500 empowering articles for and by Hispanic girls and teens

• incorporated mentors, interns and community partners to enrich the program and provide positive role models for the girls

• expanded to ten cities and opened a new office in El Paso

• developed a Teen Reporter in Training program for high school students

• approximately 35,000 readers per month accessing www.latinitasmagazine.org.

About L.I.V.E.

L.I.V.E. (Latinas Inspiring Vision and Excellence) Inc. has blossomed into a place for girls to bond with other girls and to increase their social skills. Girls can practice speaking in front of an audience and learn how to present their own creations.

Event Honors Media Icon Elizabeth Avellan

Ten years ago, news outlets reported for the first time Latinos were America’s largest minority. At the same time, statistics coming down the pike about Latino youth were devastating. Fifty two percent of Latina teens were getting pregnant at a rate that was twice the national average, reports showed one out of every seven Latina teens attempts suicide, and 41 percent of Hispanic females nationwide were not graduating with their class in four years.

Tackling the issues and needs of Latina youth, Latinitas magazine, the first digital magazine made for and by young Latinas was born in a class with the efforts of then-students Laura Donnelly Gonzalez and Alicia Rascon.  To get at the core of Latina youth’s challenges, the two also developed programs based in self-esteem, awareness and cultural pride using media and technology, reaching over 20,000 chicas ages 9-18 since.

To celebrate a decade of incisive, girl-produced articles and a place for young Latinas to express themselves –Donnelly- Gonzalez and Rascon are dedicating their annual fundraiser Fotos de Mi Alma Photography Auction to Latinitas’ 10^th Anniversary of publishing with their next print issue and honored guest, Austin favorite daughter Elizabeth Avellan, Hollywood producer and creator of the Spy Kids franchise.

Fotos de Mi Alma auction, May 16, 6-8pm at the Emma Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center features donated photography from some of the hottest contemporary photographers in Latin America, Iran and the U.S.. The night will also honor true “Latinitas” media maker and Food and drink will be served. Admission is $20 in advance, $25 and the door. Proceeds benefit Latinitas 30 after school programs, dozens of free Saturday and week-long camps.   Purchase your tickets here: https://latinitas.ticketbud.com/fotos-de-mi-alma

Established in 2002, Latinitas, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, whose mission is to empower young Latinas through media and technology, has been a vital part of young Latinas’ lives through after school programs, teen internships, Saturday and summer camps, special events, and the very first online e-zine for young Latinas—www.latinitasmagazine.org. The bilingual magazine, written for and by young Latinas, provides a vehicle whereby these girls and young women not only see themselves positively reflected, but are also a part of the production.

To date Latinitas has:

• 30,000 readers per month accessing www.latinitasmagazine.org
• Served 20,000 elementary, middle and high school Latinas with after school enrichment programs
• Provided over 19,000 hours of free digital media production and literacy lessons
• Published over 1500 empowering articles for and by Hispanic girls and teens
• Developed Spring & Summer camps
• Incorporated mentors, interns and community partners to enrich the program and provide positive role models for the girls.
• Expanded the program to ten cities; new office opened in El Paso
• Developed a Teen Reporter in Training program for high school students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Alicia Rascon
915.219.8554
alicia@laslatinitas.com

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH & SPA DAY BENEFITS LATINITAS

El Paso, TX – The “Butterfly Effect Benefit” scholarship fundraiser aims to pamper, feed, entertain, relax and delight mothers, daughters and guests. Latinitas will host this event celebrating mothers on May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the weekend before Mother’s Day, at the Double Tree Hotel in downtown El Paso. Tickets are $25 per person. The benefit is geared towards local female leaders.

The Butterfly Effect fundraiser will start off with a light brunch catered by the Double Tree Hotel, while live musical and dance performances provide entertainment. Mother of five and successful journalist, Erika Castillo of KFOX14, will share an inspirational message as the keynote speaker. Manicures, mini-makeovers,and makeup consultations will all be available as part of the admission courtesy of Milan Cosmetology Institute and Milan Salon & Spa.

Participants will also have the opportunity to win prizes and bid on a number of items in a silent auction.  As part of the celebration of mothers, Latinitas will also host an essay and poetry contest focused on Mother’s Day and the top winner will be recognized at the festivities. Dedicated to building the self-esteem and confidence of its girls, Latinitas will present a fashion show featuring clothing by local boutique Klothes Lime, Ragazza Bazaar and Lakadore, and modeled by Latinitas members. This special day of recognition offers the opportunity to honor mothers and motherly figures, to celebrate Latinitas’ services and commitment to the community, and to raise funds for their college scholarship campaign. This event is made possible thanks to our event sponsors: State Farm Insurance Agent Elizabeth Lopez, Association of Women in Science, Wise Latinas International, Telemundo, Doubletree Hotel, OSP Group and Ben Bridge Jewelers. Money is raised through admission fees, sponsorships, vendor booth fees, silent auction of themed gift baskets, and raffles.

Latinitas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Hispanic girls through media, art, culture and technology. Through creative expression workshops, after-school programs and camps, the girls build confidence about themselves and gain a higher self-esteem. Latinitas encourages girls to express themselves through multimedia enrichment lessons on writing, graphic art, desktop publishing, web design, photography, filmmaking and radio production.  Positive mentors encourage them to build their self-esteem, confidence, cultural pride, efficacy and resiliency to at-risk behavior.  Latinitas youth members also produce LatinitasMagazine.org, a digital empowerment magazine by and for Latina youth.

The Butterfly Effect mother-daughter fundraiser hopes to help Latinitas spread its wings of positive influence to reach more of the region’s girls by emphasizing the importance of creative expression and confidence during their metamorphosis into strong women. The event’s name reflects the organizations belief that together, big changes are possible.  For more information about the event, call 219-8554, email latinitaselpaso@yahoo.com or visit LasLatinitas.com.

WHAT: Girl Power Fest is a girl empowerment conference featuring inspirational speakers, interactive workshops and a teen resource fair on the topics of girl power, confidence, body image and leadership.

WHO: The event is hosted by the Latinitas Teen Leadership Institute & Women in Business Association and is open to girls 10 to 18 along with their mothers.

WHERE: UTEP Union East

WHEN: Saturday, April 13, 2013 (10AM-3PM)

WHY: The focus of the event is to encourage girls to build confidence, discover their voice, express themselves, promote healthy lifestyles and make wise decisions. Inspiring guest speakers will help girls learn about issues girls face and discover real solutions on how to overcome these challenges. The event will feature informative and inspirational workshops, guest speakers, panelists, booth fair and multimedia presentations led by local female leaders on topics such as body image, confidence, peer pressure, media literacy, leadership, healthy relationships, cultural identity and bullying. An information fair will highlight booths featuring community groups and local youth resources. Pre-teen and teen girls will discuss the challenges facing girls today and explore positive ways to deal with stress through hands-on creative expression activities revolving around poetry, acting, photography, art and song. Girls will also enjoy dance performances, a fashion show and music entertainment. A limited number of scholarships are available and group discounts may apply.

Women’s History Month Celebration

Who: Mujeres de la Tierra, Latinitas, Girl Scouts & Downtown Artist Market

When: March 23 at 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Where: Union Plaza Park

Contact: Rebecca Munoz at 915.541.4942 munozra@elpasotexas.gov

Local women’s groups and art organizations are rallying together to celebrate Women’s History Month with a family-friendly festival featuring local female artists and performers. As part of the Downtown Artist Market, participants will enjoy artist exhibitions and vendors, arts & crafts activities for children and live entertainment and performances. The Women’s History Month Art Fest is presented by the Downtown Artist Market, Girl Scouts, Latinitas, and Mujeres de la Tierra. Located at the Union Plaza District (near The Garden Restaurant) and takes place every Saturday morning. The market offers original arts and crafts, food vending, and entertainment from your local artist and artisans in El Paso County. Established in 2011, the market offers locals and visitors the opportunity to shop in an outdoor setting while enjoying great food and free activities for the entire family. Help support your local artists and shop local on Saturday at the Downtown Artist Market! Free Parking is available. Vendor and community organization space is available.

WHAT: Local girls are invited to look behind the scenes and discover the media trade with tours of local media stations. Girls will get an insider’s view of the careers of local journalists and new anchors and they visit a TV news show, a magazine publication and radio station.

WHO: The workshop is open to girls 10 to 15.

WHERE: El Paso Public Library Downtown

WHEN: Friday, March 22, 2013 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Cinema Chicas: Media Academy for Girls

When: February 16, 2013 (10:00 AM– 2:00 PM)

Where: La Fe Cultural & Technology Center (721 S. Ochoa – rear building)

Who:  Local girls ages 11-17 are invited to discover how they can change the world through multimedia arts & technology.

What: Join us for a day of fun creating social media campaigns for social good.  They will create a public service announcement video of a topic of their choice.  Girls are invited to get an insider sneak peek with Latinitas to make their own video production. Girls will get ready for an audio-visual adventure as they go  behind the scenes to see what it takes to produce their own short film. Participants will learn skills such as writing a script, acting, filming and video editing to implement their campaign and much more.  They will create their own skit and make their video debut. Girls will engage in video making, podcasting and other activities to get their media message out to the world.

Aside from these fun activities, professional women in various media industries will be presenting a career panel to empower these young girls.  The event also features guest speakers from Time Warner Cable as well as technology activities where girls learn the science behind the media and tech tools they use daily. Time Warner Cable (TWC) Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) campaign is a five-year, $100 million cash and in-kind philanthropic initiative to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which puts our children at risk of not competing  successfully in a global economy.

Contact: To register, call 915.219.8554, email latinitaselpaso@yahoo.com or register online at: http://laslatinitas.com/programs/registration

LOCAL GROUP HOSTS LADIES NIGHT OUT FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Tiara Tuesday at 501 Bar & Bistro Benefits Latinitas’ Scholarship Fund 

What: Latinitas will host its Tiara Tuesday fundraiser at 501 Bistro on February 5th. All women from El Paso are invited to join us for a ladies night out for a good cause. Admission is $10 and includes a martini and a manicure by students from Milan Cosmetology Institute.

Who: The event is co-hosted by the 501 Bistro, Milan Cosmetology Institute and the Alliance for Latinitas, a volunteer group of young professional women dedicated to promoting Latinitas’ mission of empowering local girls through volunteerism, fundraising, marketing and philanthropy.

When: Tuesday, February 5th, 5:30pm-7:30pm

Where: 501 Bar & Bistro (501 Texas Ave.)

Why: The Alliance for Latinitas in organizing the Tiara Tuesday FUNdraiser to benefit and sustain Latinitas’ various enrichment programs and workshops aimed at empowering young girls in the El Paso community.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Alicia Rascon
915.219.554
latinitaselpaso@yahoo.com