According to a report on “Hispanics and the Future of America” from the National Research Council, Hispanics in the United States face an accumulated disadvantage in their educational experience.   Many Hispanic youth enter formalized schooling with less economic and social resources compared to other students and schools are often unable to compensate for these initial disadvantages.  Many have inadequate school resources and weak relationships with their teachers that undermine their academic success.   As a result, Hispanics have the lowest rates of high school and college degree attainment. This greatly hinders their chances of stable employment in the future.  The Juntos 4-H Program was developed to help Latino youth and their families gain the knowledge and skills they need to bridge the gap between high school and higher education. 4-H Juntos was implemented in Shelby County as the public-school system has approximately 22% percent of its students identified as Hispanic/Latino.  

The Shelby County 4-H Agents partnered with the Youth Service Center Directors at the local high schools to implement the six-week 4-H Juntos Program in Shelby County.  The goals of the program were to empower Latino families with resources needed to achieve their educational goals for their youth, see more Latino youth benefit from 4-H programming, and build relationships with the Hispanic community.   Guest speakers from the school system, local colleges, Kentucky Higher Educational Assistance Authority (KHEAA), and the community were identified to meet with the families.  A translator was also provided.

Forty-eight attended the six sessions offered.  A Juntos 4-H Club is planned and the agents will continue to meet with the high school students monthly.  There will also be quarterly family nights. Topics covered during the program included:

Making Education a Family Goal

Family and School Communication

Requirements for Graduation, Grading and Tests

How to Finance Your Post-Secondary Education

Post-secondary Options

Creating a Plan of Action

A survey conducted at the end of the six weeks revealed all of the families had benefited from the program and appreciated the opportunity to attend.  All the survey respondents indicated that they had shared information they learned with others.  Ninety percent indicated that they had learned new information about the college application process, options to pay for college, scholarships, and filling out the FASFA.  Ninety percent felt better able to navigate the school system including who to contact in their schools for concerns, how to communicate with teachers, scheduling classes, and the importance of selecting career pathways.  Half of the families had already contacted someone in the school system about questions or concerns with their student.  The participants were engaged in the program and hope that it will be offered again so that they can encourage others to attend.