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30th Anniversary Sponsors |
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Friend Sponsors
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COMMUNITY EVENTS |
March 26 - April 15, Free Taxes
Mon, Wed, Thurs: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Instituto del Progreso Latino
2570 S. Blue Island Ave., Chicago
Tues, Thurs: 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Back of the Yards Career Center
4600 S. Wood St., Chicago
For more information, call Yesenia Cervantes at 773.890.0055 ext. 259.
April 12 - Free ITIN Workshop
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Instituto del Progreso Latino
2570 S. Blue Island Ave., Chicago
For more information, call Yesenia Cervantes at 773.890.0055 ext. 259.
April 17 - 30th Anniversary Gala
5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Hilton Chicago
720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago
Join Insituto as it celebrates 30 Years of Progress.
For more information contact Miguel Cambray at 773.890.0055 ext. 117.
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Iluminar: The Online Edition |
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Greetings!,
Iluminar is back! Enjoy the latest news from Instituto! |
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Celebrating 30 Years of Progress!
Instituto's 30th Anniversary Gala is almost here! Join us as we celebrate our 30 year commitment to improving the lives of Latina/o immigrants and their families, and unveil our vision of Latina/o educational advancement and advocacy. Instituto's 30th Anniversary Gala will feature guest speakers such as Chicago City Clerk Miguel del Valle and Mesirow Financial's Chief Economist Diane Swonk, along with a customized Latin-inspired menu from the Hilton Chicago's five-star Mexican-American Executive Sous Chef, Mario Garcia.
Many thanks to the sponsors of our highly anticipated Gala, including our Ph.D. Title Sponsor, PepsiCo, and others such as Fifth Third Bank, Mesirow Financial, and Western Union, among many others. We hope to see you on April 17th, 2008 at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave.
For sponsorship information, contact Miguel Cambray or email at miguel@idpl.org.
To purchase tickets email lucelly@idpl.org.
Download our Anniversary Invite and RSVP.
To view our 30th Anniversary Page, click here. |
Instituto Invests in the Advancement of Women
 As part of a new partnership initiative with The Resurrection Project and Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Instituto is proud to announce the launch of an innovative program designed to meet the needs working Latinas in Chicago. Over the years, Instituto has collaborated with organizations to help facilitate dialogue and leadership acquisition for women. The launch of Mujer Avanzando is an historic moment for Instituto by making a definitive statement regarding women's access to career, financial, leadership, housing and social support: Latinas are of value and worthy of significant investment.
Mujer Avanzando's first community orientation was held at 4:30 p.m. on March 25th, 2008 at Instituto's Main Facility, 2570 S. Blue Island Ave., Chicago. The first cohort will begin the program on April 12th.
For more information on Mujer Avanzando, click here. |
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Tax Season at Instituto Takes Off!
 The Center for Economic Progress is once again turning to Instituto to lead free tax assistance efforts in Pilsen, Little Village, and Back of the Yards. Instituto is one of the 9 Centers for Working Families designated for tax services and is by far the largest. Last year, Instituto helped to raise over $2.8 million in tax returns across its centers in Pilsen and Back of the Yards.
So far this tax season, Instituto has helped over 1,300 Latina/o families file their income taxes, simultaneously offered orientation sessions to over 300 individuals interested in programs, and will host a final ITIN workshop on April 12th. The tax services are driven by trained volunteers, working diligently to meet the goal of serving 3,500 Latina/o families by April 15th.
For more information on the Center for Working Families, click here. |
| Carreras Recieves State Recognition!
 On February 15, 2008 the Illinois Council for Continuing Higher Education (ICCHE) awarded Carreras en Salud with the 2008 Innovative Initiative Award. Carreras en Salud is the only career pathway program of its kind in Illinois and was awarded for its ability to move families forward on a pathway to self-sufficiency.
At the national level, Carreras en Salud has also been continually recognized as a leading career pathway program as the 2007 National Exemplary Program in Workforce Development Award granted by the National Council for Continued Education and Training and as a 2008 Bellwether Award finalist.
Instituto congratulates its partners, including Association House of Chicago, Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center of Wilbur Wright College and the National Council of La Raza, and thanks all of Carreras en Salud's funders for supporting this innovative and life changing program.
To learn more about Carreras en Salud, click here. |
| Citizenship Supports Hurricane Relief
After flooding in the Mexican state of Tabasco left 80% percent of the city under water and tens of thousands of residents trapped in their homes, Instituto's Citizenship Preparation Department decided to organize a grass roots campaign to help support relief efforts. The 9-person team raised over $4,000 in donations from individuals preparing to become citizens.
Instituto operates the largest citizenship preparation program in Illinois. This year, the Citizenship team, with the help of volunteers, processed over 3,000 citizenship applications through workshops, appointments, and walk-ins, helping to inspire a new wave of Latina/o civic participation in our state. Great job team!
To learn more about Citizenship Preparation at Instituto, click here. |
| Escalera Students Win Big!
 Instituto is proud to announce that several of the students enrolled in its Escalera College Bridge Program have been awarded impressive scholarships to aid in their pursuit of education. Vincent Aguirre, a senior at Thomas Kelly High School was presented a 4-year scholarship to DePauw University through the Posse Foundation, a highly competitive national program designed to identify, recruit, and train young urban leaders.
Jose de la Paz, also a senior at Thomas Kelly High School, and Frissia Sanchez, a senior at Big Picture High School were both awarded with $5,000 scholarships through the Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders program. Jose intends on studying Criminal Justice at UIC and Frissia plans to study Communications at Morton College. 25 additional Escalera students were also awarded with $500 scholarships from Best Buy's program.
Finally, Juan Acosta, a senior at Thomas Kelly High School was awarded a $1,000 scholarship by the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute. Juan plans to study Electrical Engineering at Morton College. Congratulations to all the students for their incredible accomplishments! And Instituto sends a special thanks to the National Council of La Raza, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation for their support and contributions to the success of this program.
To learn more about Escalera, click here. | |
"That's the point. It goes like this: Teaching is touching life."
- Jaime Escalante, Educator | |
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| Become Involved
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Your contribution adds tremendous value to Instituto! Your gift will be recognized by thousands of people each year. By supporting our mission you will receive a charitable tax break. The bottom line is that your investment helps a family become stronger and healthier.
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About Instituto del Progreso Latino
Our mission is to contribute to the fullest development of Latina/o immigrants and their families through education, training, and employment that fosters full participation in the changing United States society while preserving cultural identity and dignity.
Instituto del Progreso Latino was incorporated in 1977 to meet the needs of Latina/o immigrants to learn English, find employment, accustom their children to the U.S. educational systems, and adjust to life in Chicago in a myriad of ways. Since its inception, Instituto has been a story of hope, perseverance, and community triumph.
Today, Instituto is a recognized leading educational center serving more than 14,000 families yearly to advance their educational horizons, encourage civic participation by becoming U.S. citizens who vote and provide employment opportunity through workforce training.
Education is Power - Fuel the Power!
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