NASA and Univision Collaborate to Engage Hispanic Students

NASA and Univision Communications Inc. are teaming up to launch an on-air and online initiative to help engage Hispanic students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

NASA is committed to preparing the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists.

NASA is committed to preparing the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists.

NASA is committed to preparing the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists. Univision, a leading Spanish-language media company with television, radio, online and interactive assets focused on improving graduation rates and preparing Hispanic students for college.

Beginning Saturday, Oct. 2, Univision will air a series of Spanish-language educational video segments produced by NASA and titled “NASA and You” (NASA y Tu). Featuring Hispanic employees from NASA as role models, the 30-second videos will present new perspectives on education and STEM careers. Among many featured NASA staff members are astronaut Jose Hernandez, who talks about his life and how he became an astronaut, and Margaret Dominguez, an optics engineer, who talks about the engineering challenges of putting a mirror as large as a tennis court in small spacecraft.

“NASA’s challenging missions offer a unique opportunity to inspire excellence in students of every age,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver. “This collaboration will combine NASA’s unique STEM educational content with Univision’s communications platforms to reach Hispanic youth and encourage them to pursue STEM-related careers.”

The segments will air on Saturday mornings on the Univision children’s block “Planeta U.” They are part of the company’s comprehensive, multi-platform, three-year national education initiative called Es El Momento (The Moment is Now).

Through Es El Momento, Univision is working to improve academic achievement among Kindergarten through 12th grade Hispanic students. It is focused specifically on increasing high school graduation rates, college readiness and completion while engaging Hispanic parents and the broader Hispanic community in these efforts.

For more information about Es El Momento, visit:

http://www.eselmomento.com

“Proficiency in STEM education is the cornerstone of the workforce of tomorrow, which is why we salute NASA for joining in our efforts,” said Joe Uva, president and CEO of Univision Communications Inc. “Our ability to tap into NASA’s experience and talent will have a tremendous impact on our goal of increasing educational attainment in our communities as part of Es El Momento.”

To view the “NASA and You” (NASA y Tu) website in Spanish, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/educacion/nasaytu

For more information about NASA’s education programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

Source: NASA

Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin

Nationwide Outreach Spreads Traditional Foods Message

Oldways Offers Free Latino Nutrition Tools

the Oldways Latino Nutrition Collection, a free online resource offering a variety of bilingual nutrition tools the educational organization has created through its 14 years of work celebrating traditional Latino lifestyles.

the Oldways Latino Nutrition Collection, a free online resource offering a variety of bilingual nutrition tools the educational organization has created through its 14 years of work celebrating traditional Latino lifestyles.

In time for Latino Nutrition Month and National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), Oldways introduces a new initiative dubbed “Latino Nutrition in Your Community” to encourage health organizations, businesses and individuals to spread the word that making healthy food and lifestyle choices can help reduce the rise of chronic disease facing the Latino community.

The centerpiece of the campaign is the Oldways Latino Nutrition Collection, a free online resource offering a variety of bilingual nutrition tools the educational organization has created through its 14 years of work celebrating traditional Latino lifestyles.  The collection features practical tips, recipes and health information in both English and Spanish, available free of charge for individuals and health professionals to download and distribute.  In addition, through October 15, Oldways is offering free printed copies of its Camino Magico bilingual supermarket guide and its beautifully illustrated Latin American Diet Pyramid poster.

“Latinos, the fastest growing segment of American society, face serious health risks as they replace the nutritious foods of their traditional diets with a typical Western diet known for unhealthy foods and oversized portions,” said Sara Baer-Sinnott, President, Oldways, an internationally-respected non-profit.  “We are reaching out to Latino organizations nationwide to encourage them to share these tools honoring traditional Latino ingredients and lifestyles with their local communities.”

Oldways is already working with communities across the country, stretching from California to Illinois to Florida and hopes more will take advantage of this opportunity, Ms. Baer-Sinnott added.

“A lot of Spanish-speaking people will be touched by these resources,” said Cintia Aguilar, Latino Affairs Facilitator for North Carolina Cooperative Extension, in Raleigh, NC. North Carolina has the country’s fastest-growing Latino population, and Aguilar is working with all 100 North Carolina extension offices to use the materials in their community programs.

To date, distribution of these free materials is supported by General Mills, Herdez/MegaMex, Mission, National Watermelon Promotion Board, The Peanut Institute, US Potato Board, Soyfoods Association of North American, Tambobamba, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Kwik’pak Fisheries.

To bring these educational efforts to even more communities, Oldways is looking for additional corporate partners.  Companies who would like to signal their commitment to Latino health by providing the resources to distribute these materials can visit our website for more information or contact Erika Ross, eross@oldwayspt.org, 617-896-4850.

Using its knowledge of traditional foodways and expertise in nutrition communications, Oldways is a strong voice for Latino health.  In 1996, Oldways created the Latin American Diet Pyramid as a visual guide to healthy eating.

Other initiatives have included a campaign that created and distributed 1,400,000 copies of its Camino Magico bilingual healthy eating guide; tastings of healthy Latino foods in national supermarket chains; creation of health information for consumers and health professionals; and establishment of Latino Nutrition Month to build awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyle choices.

Please contact Alison Clancy (aclancy@oldwayspt.org) or 617-896-4888) for more information, including hi-res graphics of the Latin American Diet Pyramid, or to schedule an interview with Oldways President Sara Baer-Sinnott.

About Oldways
Oldways (www.oldwayspt.org) is an internationally-respected non-profit, changing the way people eat through positive and practical programs grounded in science and tradition.  It is the parent organization for The Whole Grains Council and The Mediterranean Foods Alliance, and is well-known for creating the Whole Grain Stamp and the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

true appreciation

true appreciation

Beware the Professional Hispanic

This is a post by Alberto Ferrer that I found to be so much along my lines of thought that I was compelled to post it on my blog. If you are interested in this subject you may read the article I authored: Finding the “right” Hispanic expertise for your company – May 2008

Thank you Alberto!!

Beware the Professional Hispanic: Professional Hispanics are folks who are Hispanic and have chosen their ethnicity as their profession.

Beware the Professional Hispanic: Professional Hispanics are folks who are Hispanic and have chosen their ethnicity as their profession.

In my previous post, I discussed the danger to clients of the mainstream agency’s Hispanic-acquisition practice of “poach the junior talent at Hispanic shops by promoting them beyond their capabilities.” Catchy, isn’t it? The point was that the same individual who a client might not have invited to planning meetings, for example, the next day might be in charge of that very planning.

A related practice exists in the client ranks and it is equally dangerous and even more pervasive in the industry. The practice is that of the Professional Hispanic vs. the Hispanic Professional.

Professional Hispanics have been around for a long time in the Hispanic Marketing world, but are becoming more widespread with the growth in importance and prevalence of Hispanic Marketing in organizations.

Professional Hispanic Defined

Professional Hispanics are folks who are Hispanic and have chosen their ethnicity as their profession. They have no specific expertise in Hispanic Marketing (or even marketing per se, for that matter) but rather ride the ethnicity of their name to define and build their career.

They can come from all walks of life in a client organization and from all levels. However, they are usually from junior levels because (a) the organizations that choose these folks to lead their Hispanic Marketing are usually companies that don’t value Hispanic that much and thus have these positions at relatively low levels in the organization, and (b) these same organizations are not those where Hispanics have reached high positions in the company.

Professional Hispanics usually see the market with very old-fashioned, traditional eyes (what they remember from growing up) rather than seeing it as the vibrant, ever-changing, dynamic, complex space it actually is. They tend to prefer things like street festivals and local radio. This is because they are not really marketers and thus do not continue learning about the market, changing with it, experimenting with it, etc. They continue using their personal experience as a filter, not realizing that their own selves 10 to 15 years ago are not the target.

Hispanic Professional Defined

Hispanic Professionals are good marketers who understand their target market, are experts in engaging with the target, exhibit savvy communications decision-making, etc. They just happen to be Hispanic and working in Hispanic Marketing at their organizations.

These folks have passion for what they do and believe in the potential of the Hispanic market. They usually come from marketing and communications backgrounds and have the experience and education of solid marketing professionals.

The key difference is that while Professional Hispanics ride their culture and ethnicity to career advancement, Hispanic Professionals leverage their efforts, experience and expertise. Do multicultural marketers have to belong to a particular ethnic group? That’s for another post.

I would defer to my fellow bloggers on this issue, but I would not be surprised if this issue was the same in terms of marketing to Black and Asian-American targets.

Appointing Professional Hispanics to these marketing posts is a risky proposition for clients. They are in effect putting a key portion of their marketing in the hands of unqualified people. They will end up with bland, ineffective, uninspired me-too marketing to Hispanics.

We all know how difficult it is to find good Hispanic Professionals in this tight talent environment. However, I strongly recommend to client organizations that they look harder and deeper for the right people, design the positions at the appropriate levels of responsibility and compensation, and monitor their performance more closely.

At our agency, when evaluating potential client relationships, this is one of the factors we consider. The multicultural markets are just too important to most companies’ bottom line to leave that up to folks whose only Hispanic expertise lies in their name or ethnicity. Invest in hiring the right people and enjoy the full benefits of the opportunity these markets have to offer

illuminate the world - inspirational quote Oprah

illuminate the world – inspirational quote Oprah

Next Quote? funny inspirational quotes on every post!

Oldways Issues Call to Industry to Band Together To Change the Way America Eats

Bringing Dietary Guidelines To the Table

BOSTON, June 16, 2010 – Internationally recognized Oldways, the non-profit consumer advocacy group known for changing the way people eat, is issuing a call to nutrition groups, companies and individuals to band together to make the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans – and their underlying health benefits – a reality.

In the early 90s, Oldways created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid to popularize a proven approach to healthy, delicious eating - a total approach to diet, comprised of a wide variety of healthy foods and drinks.

In the early 90s, Oldways created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid to popularize a proven approach to healthy, delicious eating – a total approach to diet, comprised of a wide variety of healthy foods and drinks.

This urgent call to action is a response to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC)’s report released yesterday which offers a “sneak preview” to content expected later this year in the actual 2010 Dietary Guidelines.

“These new guidelines are not a yawn — they are revolutionary but only if we all join together to change the way people eat,” said Sara Baer-Sinnott, President of Oldways.  “We are inviting partners to come to the table to help us encourage Americans, once and for all, to shift their approach to food from large portions and mindless eating to one that celebrates delicious, healthy, simple foods.”

Oldways is looking for partners who believe in three key elements at the center of this important initiative:

1)       Healthy Eating Can Be Delicious – For too long, eating healthy has been equated with deprivation and scolding. Now, with its call to “improve cooking skills” and “value preparing and enjoying healthy food” the DGAC Report lays the groundwork for a new attitude and approach that Oldways has for many years fondly called “the Pleasures of the Table.”

2)       Working with Industry is Essential – “Change is needed in the food environment,” says the DGAC Report. “The food industry will need to act to help Americans achieve these goals.” Oldways has a long history, through programs like its Whole Grains Council and Mediterranean Foods Alliance, of organizing creative initiatives that motivate industry to introduce healthier products, and plans to build on this successful model in support of the new Guidelines.

3)       Total Diet is Important – In the early 90s, Oldways created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid to popularize a proven approach to healthy, delicious eating – a total approach to diet, comprised of a wide variety of healthy foods and drinks. Now the DGAC Report has added a key chapter on Total Diet, and cited the Med Diet specifically as one of the two most scientifically-established ways to live a long and healthy life. Oldways’ expertise in healthy traditional foodways around the world can make a key contribution to the new Guidelines.

Anyone — from individuals with an interest in nutrition to corporations and organizations committed to making a difference — can show their support by taking the Three Point Pledge. From there, Oldways will rally supporters to prepare for the Guidelines release later this year.

First published in 1980, the Dietary Guidelines are updated and released by the USDA and HHS every five years. Because they serve as the foundation for virtually all nutrition programs, both public and private, the Dietary Guidelines have the potential to make an enormous impact on Americans’ health.

Please contact Alison Clancy ( aclancy@oldwayspt.org or 617-896-4888) for more information, including hi-res graphics, high res photos of dishes or to talk about this initiative or the Dietary Guidelines.

About Oldways
Oldways (www.oldwayspt.org) is an internationally-respected non-profit, changing the way people eat through positive and practical programs grounded in science and tradition.  It is the parent organization for The Whole Grains Council and The Mediterranean Foods Alliance, and is well-known for creating the Whole Grain Stamp and the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

Telemundo President to address Latino business and community leaders at HACR symposium

Telemundo, a leading producer of high-quality content for Hispanics in the U.S. and audiences around the world, has announced that its President, Don Browne, will address business and corporate leaders on May 18th in San Francisco at the 18th Annual Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) Symposium.  Browne will join the HACR CEO Roundtable hosted by John Stumpf, Chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo & Company and participant Stephen Holmes, Chairman & CEO of Wyndham Worldwide.

The 18th Annual HACR Symposium: The Power of Hispanic Inclusion brings together some of the nation’s most influential Hispanic leaders, government officials and corporate executives to discuss and identify effective strategies and models for achieving greater Hispanic inclusion and participation in the areas of employment, procurement, philanthropy and governance.

“Commitment. Innovation. Leadership. These are words that describe Don Browne’s passion for the Hispanic community and we are very pleased to have Don join us at this year’s HACR CEO Roundtable,” stated Carlos Orta, HACR’s President/CEO.

This past April, Browne celebrated five years at the helm of Telemundo having led the company to the most diverse Hispanic leadership in its history: Telemundo’s leadership team grew from 33% Hispanic in 2002 to 85% Hispanic in 2010.  Today, approximately 85% of Telemundo’s full-time employees are Hispanic.

Browne also led Telemundo’s evolution from a simple broadcaster of acquired content to a leader in producing original content specifically for U.S. Hispanics – made by Hispanics, for Hispanics – delivering today more than 3,000 hours of original content a year. Under his leadership, Telemundo invested millions of dollars to create Telemundo Studios and build an entire industry for the future, providing hundreds of jobs to talented Hispanics and developing talent on and off the screen. Telemundo has evolved into a multimedia company by creating businesses across all platforms that did not exist before, including a rapidly growing Digital business and a world-renowned International operation that distributes content to more than 100 countries in over 30 languages, promoting U.S. locations and the work of Hispanics to the entire world.

A longtime advocate of expanding into the Spanish-language television market, Browne was a key member of the NBC team involved in the purchase of the Telemundo network. Browne has a national reputation for being especially active in the recruitment and career development of women and minorities. He is co-founder and board member of the “Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program” for at- risk high school girls. He is the recipient of the 2006 Florida Governor’s Points of Light Award for exemplary service to his community and the 2004 prestigious Ida B. Wells Award for his commitment to promoting diversity in the work place.

In 2008, Browne’s extensive contributions to the broadcasting industry and Spanish-language television were recognized by Broadcasting & Cable, where he was inducted into the prestigious Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, an industry honor that is bestowed on the pioneers, the innovators and the stars of the electronic arts.

Led by Browne, Telemundo recently reaffirmed its commitment to news by introducing a comprehensive news strategy to enhance and expand its news content across key day parts and multiple platforms including increased investment in local newscasts at the Telemundo stations and the launch of the weekly public affairs show Enfoque.

Thanks to Browne’s commitment to the Hispanic community, the network has been a pioneer in integrating social issues in its prime time original novelas including topics such as the 2010 Census, Latino women self esteem, immigration, health, workplace safety, domestic violence, literacy, eating disorders, rape, and plastic surgery, among many others.

In order to implement its multiple pro social initiatives including voter registration, Latina women, the 2010 Census, and many other causes, Telemundo regularly partners with leading U.S. Hispanic organizations including USHLI, LULAC, NHMC, USHCC, CNC, HACR, CHLI, NAHJ, NCLR, CHCI, NPRC, NiLP and MANA.

About Telemundo

Telemundo Communications Group (“Telemundo”), a division of NBC Universal, is a world-class media company, leading the industry in the production and distribution of high-quality Spanish-language content across its multiplatform portfolio to U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. Telemundo’s multiple platforms include Telemundo, a Spanish-language television network featuring original productions, theatrical motion pictures, news and first-class sports events reaching 93% of U.S. Hispanic viewers in 210 markets through its 15 owned-and-operated stations, 45 broadcast affiliates, and 800 cable affiliates; mun2, the preeminent voice for bicultural Hispanics in the U.S. reaching over 34.1 million U.S. TV households nationwide on digital and analog cable, and satellite television; Telemundo Digital Media, which leverages Telemundo’s original content for distribution across digital and emerging platforms including mobile devices and www.telemundo.com and www.holamun2.com ; and Telemundo International, the company’s international distribution arm which has positioned Telemundo as the second largest provider of Spanish-language content worldwide by syndicating content to more than 100 countries in over 35 languages.

CONTACT:
Michelle Alban
Telemundo
Vice President, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs
305-889-7585
Michelle.alban@nbcuni.com