Orgullo Latinx Pride Youth Program

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About the Program

Launched in 2017, Orgullo Latinx Pride (OLP) is a free year-round program for Latinx high school students in grades 9 to 12 at Jordan Matthews High School in Siler City and Seaforth High School in Pittsboro, Chatham County. OLP creates a safe space for Latinx youth to feel empowered, become more resilient, and pursue their dreams despite the odds against them. We currently have 81 youth enrolled in the program.

OLP empowers our youth members to:

Stay in school and excel academically

Take charge of their mental health and become more resilient

Advance to the next grade level and/or graduate from high school

Pursue a higher education at a university, community college or technical school

Be well-rounded, informed, and confident  community  leaders

Program Activities

Most program activities are held at Jordan Matthews in Siler City and Seaforth in Pittsboro, thanks to our partnership with Chatham County Schools.

Weekly after-school meetings: homework assistance and discussions on topics such as financial literacy, self-care, goal setting, academic skills, and Latinx and African American history. 
Bi-Weekly grade monitoring: we text grades to parents to keep them updated on their child’s progress.  
Weekly Senior meetings: to work on college, financial aid, and scholarship applications.  
Group check-ins by grade level: to review grades, identify challenges, set goals, and plan for college.   
Individual check-ins: for youth struggling with mental health issues or need emotional support.
Field trips: to universities, leadership conferences, career fairs, and cultural events. 
Year-round volunteer service: to develop leadership skills and a culture of civic engagement.  
Civic engagement: trainings on the role of government, meetings with officials, and presentations to county and town commissioners.  
Leadership team: 5 youth from each school are elected by their peers to serve as spokespersons and program assistants. They meet bi-weekly with program staff to plan programming, share feedback, and work on leadership skills. They facilitate a youth group meeting once a month.

A few of our program accomplishments since 2017 ~ click to scroll:

96% of our students have advanced to the next grade level

100% of our 29 alumni graduated from high school and are pursuing a higher-education: 17 are enrolled in 4-year colleges, 11 are enrolled in community college, and 1 joined the Marines.

107 Latinx high school students have participated or are currently enrolled in OLP, reflecting the high retention rate of our program.

16 alumni were collectively awarded$437,500 in college scholarships

OLP youth have contributed 5,401 hours of volunteer service

10 youth were competitively selected to apply to NC Governor’s School

Hosted over 70 field trips to colleges, cultural events, volunteering, and civic engagement activities.

In 2021, we expanded OLP to Seaforth High School in Pittsboro thanks to the generous support from Chatham County Schools.

Parent Empowerment Academy Program (PEAP):

In 2022, we launched a Parent Empowerment Academy Program (PEAP) for Latinx parents of our youth group members. Our goals are to empower parents with knowledge about the school system, their children’s rights, and how to contribute to their children’s academic success. PEAP is a free 5-week summer program that offers childcare, food, and other incentives. Each workshop is 3-hours long, topics include: school vocabulary and programs; multi-lingual programs for English learners; advocacy strategies for student with learning differences; parents’ rights; roles and functions of key school personnel and the school board; dialog with school administrators, and strategies to advocate for their children’s rights.

In July 2022, we hosted the inaugural class of PEAP at Seaforth HS in Pittsboro with 13 parents. In July 2023, we hosted the second PEAP cohort at Jordan Matthews HS in Siler City with 16 parents. Parents in the program continue to meet monthly to develop advocacy skills and strategies to improve educational outcomes for their children. Several parents also started attending school board meetings and offering their witness to school board members during public input sessions.

Selina Lopez, Program Director

Carmen Pacheco, Program Coordinator

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A huge thank you to our funders and donors for investing in the future of OLP youth!

Alces Foundation
Chatham County Schools
Four Freedoms Fund
Galloway Ridge
Maple Tree Fund
Mary Duke Biddle Foundation
MDC
Triangle Community Foundation
Women of Fearrington
ZSR Foundation