By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – The Iowa West Foundation is putting its support behind the College of St. Mary's Latina Summer Academy.
CSM Marketing Director Carmen Steele says a $4,000 grant from the Foundation will be used to support the Latina Summer Academy. The week-long workshop for 9th and 10th grade Latina students focuses on math and science, as well as health and community involvement.
Steele says the program was initially created because the young Latina community is an underserved population. "They often get overlooked in a lot of programs and they have had really high dropout rates and low involvement in activities," Steele says. "This was created to boost their self-confidence and get them involved and excited about school and academics and getting them involved in the community and their schools."
The 2010 Latina Summer Academy runs June 20th through the 25th.