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Hispanic Scholarship Fund P&G Pledges $1.5MM

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Scholarship applications now available until Feb. 2010

Procter & Gamble (P&G) and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) are pleased to announce that P&G is awarding $1.5 million under the company’s Live, Learn and Thrive(TM) global cause to support HSF, the leading Hispanic organization devoted to awarding university scholarships. The grant will be provided over the next four years to support scholarships to increase participation from Hispanics in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) areas, as well as sponsoring educational outreach programs.

This contribution will help award 192, $2,500 scholarships to eligible Hispanic students nationwide in the next four years. Thanks to the support of companies like Procter & Gamble, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund has given over 90,000 scholarships to students in need worth over $250 million in the past 34 years. Two-thirds of these students were the first in their families to go to college.

“Through the Live, Learn and Thrive Scholarship program, P&G is enabling a cadre of academically talented, low income, first in family to attend college students complete an important new step in realizing the American dream. And, by focusing on STEM majors, P&G is strategically investing in future career paths destined to assure continued success and leadership of our country in this ever competitive global economy. We salute P&G and the scholars!” said Frank D. Alvarez, HSF President and CEO.

While Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority in the United States, they unfortunately are not keeping up when it comes to educational attainment: according to HSF, Latinos have the lowest high school and college completion rates of any racial or ethnic group, registering a 23.8 percent high school dropout rate, the highest of any major racial or ethnic group (ages 16 to 24), compared to 7 percent for non-Hispanic whites. Moreover, as per data from the Census report Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008, out of the total population, only 13 percent of Hispanics 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, as per data from the report.

In addition, data from the study, “Confronting the ‘New’ American Dilemma, Underrepresented Minorities in Engineering: A Data-Based Look at Diversity,” from the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) reveals that the number of minority students pursuing STEM degrees and careers has flattened out or even declined in recent years: out of the 6,404 doctoral degrees in engineering awarded in 2006, only 98 went to Latinos and Latinas.

Following its commitment to advance the Hispanic community, P&G has been a long-standing corporate partner of HSF for over 30 years and has donated more than $3,000,000 to help educate future Hispanic leaders. Under its global Live, Learn and Thrive(TM) cause, P&G aims to contribute to the success of Hispanic students and even make higher education a more realistic goal by helping build a pool of exceptional talent and empowering possible future employees, who will continue to enhance the company’s dedication to cater to the needs of its consumers.

“At P&G, we believe in having a workforce and business partners that reflect the markets and consumers that we serve, and to fully value and learn from all of their experiences, insights and talents so we can meaningfully improve the lives of our communities. As part of our efforts to improve life for children and youth, we’re proud to make this Live, Learn and Thrive(TM) grant in recognition of the programs HSF delivers on behalf of Hispanic students,” said Edgar Sandoval, P&G’s General Manager, North America Marketing.

Sandoval, a former recipient of an HSF scholarship while he was pursuing his engineering degree, was inducted into the prestigious Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) Alumni Hall of Fame as the “Inspirador” (the motivator), in recognition of his personal achievements and the hard work and sacrifice made in pursuit of a college education. His scholastic success testifies to the great positive impact that an HSF scholarship can have in a student’s life.

This year’s Alumni Hall of Fame Gala took place in New York on Sept. 30th, and was hosted by Natalie Morales, NBC’s “Today” Co-Host and National Correspondent. Created in 2002, the HSF Alumni Hall of Fame honors Hispanics who demonstrate the power of higher education and highlights how attaining a college degree can change individual lives and society as a whole for the better. As an inductee, Sandoval will join a select group of Latino professionals who have been recognized, including former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza and Time Warner Vice President Lisa Quiroz.

HSF’s scholarship application period is now open and will run until Feb. 28th, 2010. General application requirements include having a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and be pursuing or planning to pursue their first undergraduate or graduate program. For more information on how to apply for these scholarships, please visit www.hsf.net

About the Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Founded in 1975 as a not-for-profit, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the nation’s preeminent Latino scholarship organization, providing the Latino community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country. During the 2007-2008 academic year, HSF awarded almost 4,100 scholarships exceeding $26.7 million. In its 33-year history, HSF has awarded in excess of 86,000 scholarships, worth more than $247 million, to Latinos attending nearly 2,000 colleges and universities in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For a scholarship application or more information about HSF, please visit: WWW.HSF.NET.

About Procter & Gamble and Live, Learn and Thrive.

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. In these countries and beyond, P&G is committed to improving lives for children in need through its global cause, Live, Learn and Thrive. Every day P&G Live, Learn and Thrive(TM) is helping children get off to a healthy start, receive access to education, and build skills for life. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G, its brands, and Live, Learn and Thrive.

SOURCE Procter & Gamble

Latino Nutrition Month Oldways Releases Latino Health Tool Kit

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Target Latino thanks the Latino Nutrition Coalition and Oldways for allowing us to publish this important information for dissemination within our community. Let’s hope that we all work together for the betterment of our nutrition and that of our children.

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BOSTON, September 15, 2009 – In celebration of Latino Nutrition Month from September 15 through October 15, Oldways and the Latino Nutrition Coalition (LNC) have released Latino Living – A Guide to Better Health Through Traditional Food and Active Lifestyles – for both consumers and health professionals.

“Latino Living was originally designed for health professionals and dietitians, but it is so user friendly and simple that it’s perfect for consumers from coast to coast,” said Sara Baer-Sinnott, Executive Vice President of Oldways.

Latin Diet Pyramid - Copyright 2009 Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust - http://www.oldwayspt.org/

Latin Diet Pyramid – Copyright 2009 Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust – http://www.oldwayspt.org/

For Consumers, the kit offers:

  • A 7-day Healthy Latino Meal Plan, with recipes and grocery list.
  • A bilingual Latino Lifestyle Calendar, featuring a tip-a-day for following the healthy Latin American diet.
  • New, illustrated, bilingual Latin American Diet Pyramid, with basic guidelines to help plan daily meals.

The following in both English and Spanish:

  • A list of Latin American super foods
  • Kitchen Strategies: time savers and smart swaps
  • Tip for Kids: cooking, lunches and snacks
  • Tips on how to exercise with your family

For Health Professionals and RDs, the kit offers:

  • All of the above, PLUS
  • Statistics concerning obesity, nutrition, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer rates occurring in the Latino American population.
  • A detailed explanation of the Latin American Diet Pyramid, along with basic guidelines that help plan daily meals.
  • Weekly Goal Tracking and 24-Hour Recall Sheets.

Consumers, health professionals and RDs can request this free resource (on CD-Rom or online) by emailing or calling Adriene Worthington (aworthington@oldwayspt.org, 617-896-4876.

Coinciding with National Hispanic Heritage Month, Latino Nutrition Month will introduce consumers to a variety of ways to cook, eat and enjoy the Latino diet pattern. The introduction of an updated Latin American Diet Pyramid will stress the importance of putting plant foods such as fruits, veggies, grains (mostly whole), nuts and peanuts, beans and spices at the core of one’s diet. Additionally, consumers can enter Oldways/LNC’s Latin American Diet Recipe Contest (see below) to win a variety of prizes.

See what else is happening during Latino Nutrition Month on the Oldways and LNC websites. These programs include:
1. An updated Camino Mágico, a downloadable, bi-lingual supermarket shopping guide to help Latino shoppers make healthy choices among the endless food options available at supermarkets today.

2. Latin American Diet Recipe Contest featured on the Oldways and LNC websites and on the Official Oldways Table Blog. Consumers should submit a recipe that uses at least two Latin American Diet products (list is featured on the Oldways Table Blog).  Winners will be drawn at the end of the month, and announced on our websites.  Prizes include wonderful Latino food products, autographed copies of our widely-praised book, The Oldways Table, chock-full of wonderful recipes and short essays about food and wine experiences, and the new poster of the Latin American Diet Pyramid.

3. A 2′ X 3′ poster with an updated illustration of the Latin American Diet Pyramid will be available at The Oldways Store on September 21, 2009.

Links:

Find Oldways on Twitter – OldwaysPT

Find the LNC on Twitter – LatinoNutrition

Oldways on Facebook – Become a Fan!

The Official Oldways Blog – The Oldways Table

About Oldways and the Latino Nutrition Coalition

Oldways is an internationally-respected non-profit, changing the way people eat through practical and positive programs grounded in science, traditions, and delicious foods and drinks.  The Latino Nutrition Coalition is an Oldways program inspiring Latinos to improve and maintain their health through traditional foods and active lifestyles. LNC members include: General Mills; Herdez; Splenda; La Moderna; Mission Foods; National Watermelon Promotion Board; The Peanut Institute; Soyfoods Association of North America; Splenda  Sweetener Products; United States Potato Board; and Wisconsin Milk  Marketing Board.  You can learn more at www.oldwayspt.org and www.latinonutrition.org.

Header photography credit: IStockPhoto

1st-Ever Sears National Hispanic Heritage Month Initiative

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Introduces new bilingual social networking site for students and parents

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ — Inspired by the many Hispanic families who help their children become the first to attend college, Sears Holdings has launched the PRIMERO Hispanic Heritage Scholarship(SM) and bilingual, social networking education website in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15).

In Spanish, “primero” means “first”. The PRIMERO scholarship awards up to $10,000 toward college costs for those who are “first” in their family to attend college, as well as those continuing the family’s tradition of attaining a higher education. In addition to applying for the scholarship, students and their parents can also learn about the college planning process via the PRIMERO Hispanic Heritage Scholarship(SM) site — www.shcprimerobeca.com. SHC also offers a scholarship to associates of Sears, Kmart, Lands’ End and Orchard Supply Hardware.

With more than 46 million Hispanics now living in the U.S. and more than 132 million expected by 2050*, the PRIMERO Hispanic Heritage Scholarship(SM) education initiative is one of the ways Sears Holdings is reaching out to the Hispanic community. Sears recently launched a fully Spanish-translated website, espanol.sears.com, giving Spanish-speaking customers full access to its wide range of home appliances, electronics and computers, outdoor living, lawn and garden, and tools. Product names and navigation are also translated in other categories, allowing our customers to browse our websites in whichever language best meets their needs.

“We are excited to launch the SHC PRIMERO Hispanic Heritage Scholarship(SM) and education website in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Nydia J. Sahagun, director, multicultural marketing, Sears Holdings Corporation. “This new initiative is a great way to support education, while providing information and resources for college-bound students and their parents in an engaging and interactive way.”

*2009 U.S. Census Bureau

The PRIMERO Hispanic Heritage Scholarship(SM) website is Sears Holdings’ first corporate social networking site focused on education. The website is a one-stop online destination for college planning, featuring special sections to demystify the process:

— Why College – Outlines the benefits of going to college while busting myths versus facts about college

— The Plan – Tells you what to do first to start planning for college, no matter where you are in the process

— The Search – Details the types of colleges you can choose from while helping you find a match with the type of college that best fits you

— The Process – Gives you a monthly “to-do” list, checklist and information on college application requirements and on how to apply

— The Money – Provides information on typical tuition costs and how to navigate through financial aid

— At College – Offers tips for success once in college

— Blogs – Give first-hand tips from real college students on what to expect when applying for or attending college

According to Diverseeducation.com, although 98% of Hispanic high school students want to attend college, only 25% of college-aged Hispanics (18-24) are enrolled. This low attendance rate is attributed to many factors including lack of experience, resources and available/understandable information in many Hispanic communities. The PRIMERO Hispanic Heritage Scholarship(SM) and website aims to close the informational gap for Hispanics.

“We commend Sears Holdings for providing scholarship opportunities, especially during a time when a large emerging population is primarily Hispanic,” said Antonio Flores, president and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). “The reality is that without programs like PRIMERO Hispanic Heritage Scholarship(SM), attaining a higher education would not be possible for many Hispanics.

No purchase is necessary. Void in Maine and where prohibited. High school and college students from all ethnic backgrounds who are residents of the 50 United States (except ME), plus the District of Columbia, and are between the ages of 16 and 22, inclusive with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent) are encouraged to apply for the PRIMERO Hispanic Heritage Scholarship(SM). Awards include a scholarship for college worth up to $10,000 (1 winner), up to $5,000 (1 winner) or up to $2,500 (2 winners), or one of 10 Sears-Kmart ‘Back to Campus” kits, valued at $250 each. Entries must be received or postmarked by October 15, 2009, at 11:59 p.m. EST. For Official Rules, go to www.shcprimerobeca.com/es/apply-now/rules (Spanish) or www.shcprimerobeca.com/en/apply-now/rules (English). For more information on the PRIMERO Hispanic Heritage Scholarship(SM) or college preparation, visit www.shcprimerobeca.com. For more information on Sears and Kmart, visit www.sears.com or www.kmart.com. Sponsor: Sears Holdings Corporation, 3333 Beverly Road, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation’s fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands’ End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has Martha Stewart Everyday products, which are offered exclusively in the U.S. by Kmart. We are the nation’s largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit Sears Holdings’ website at www.searsholdings.com.

Source: Sears Holdings Corporation

Walden University Launches Online Degree in Spanish

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Extends access to higher education for Spanish-dominant adults. Walden University Launches Degree Taught in Spanish, Delivered Online; Offers Tuition Success Award

MINNEAPOLIS, July 29 /PRNewswire/ –Walden University has launched an online B.S. in Business Administration degree taught in Spanish with the option to learn English. The curriculum is fully delivered in Spanish, and is supported by a full suite of Spanish-language services. Walden’s program is designed to serve those for whom the English-language barrier is an obstacle to a degree from an accredited U.S. university.

Census data show that one-half of the foreign-born population of the United States is Hispanic. Members of the Hispanic community are, in particular, expected to benefit from this program offering.

“The segment of the Latino population that prefers learning and communicating in Spanish has not been well served by U.S. higher education institutions,” said Dr. Ivonne Chirino-Klevans, director of the Spanish-language B.S. in Business Administration program at Walden University. “Walden’s degree program removes the language obstacles preventing many eligible Hispanics from earning a degree. College ready, Spanish-dominant individuals now have a greater opportunity to improve their lives and advance their careers.”

To help provide an opportunity for all eligible students to pursue a degree, Walden has announced it will offer a Walden University Academic Success Award. Open to all students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program (taught in Spanish with the option to learn English), this award can provide a 15 percent tuition reduction, which equates to between $6,000 and $6,750 over the life of the program*.

Walden’s bachelor’s program provides a full suite of Spanish-language support services, including enrollment and academic advising, writing assistance, tutoring, library resources, technical support, financial and personal counseling, and career services. For those students who want to become English-proficient, Walden offers an optional English-language component (ESL). With the ESL component, students can learn English while earning their degree, and eventually may become eligible to transfer into Walden’s English-language B.S. in Business Administration program. Regardless of the path students choose, upon graduation and with demonstrated proficiency, they may be able to enter Walden’s M.B.A. program.

The program combines academic theory with practical application. The Spanish-language program is designed to achieve the same outcomes as Walden’s English-language B.S. in Business Administration program and prepares students for real-world jobs in a global economy. For example, students will learn how to apply basic business principles to solve problems and leverage domestic and global opportunities; how to use critical thinking and business application skills to make strategic business decisions; how to evaluate the use of technology in a competitive global economy; and how to work effectively across cultures.

Students in the program will communicate in Spanish with other students and faculty members to exchange ideas; discuss key concepts, theories, and issues; practice new skills and strategies; and apply new knowledge to prior experiences.

Walden has long been a champion of the Latino community. In April 2009 The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Educationmagazine ranked Walden University No. 12 on its list of the top 25 colleges and universities with the largest Hispanic graduate student enrollment. The program, targeted to meet the specific and unique needs of the Latino community, is based in Walden’s College of Management and Technology. For the second year in a row, Walden was listed as having the No. 4 largest online graduate management program by enrollment by U.S. News & World Report. Walden is also a part of the Laureate International Universities network, with sister universities located across eight countries in Latin America.

For more informationabout Walden University’s B.S. in Business Administration (taught in Spanish with the option to learn English), visit www.licenciatura.waldenu.edu.

*Award, tuition and fees are for the 2009 – 2010 academic year and are subject to change. The total award amount is dependent upon each student’s transfer of credits and prior learning assessment totals. This award cannot be combined with any other Walden scholarship or tuition reduction offer. Not valid to Tennessee residents.

About Walden University

Since 1970, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 33,000 students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network–a global network of 45 online and campus-based universities in 20 countries.

Walden offers more than 36 degree programs with more than 140 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include: health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration, technology and engineering.

For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.

Source: Walden University