Press Release - Latinos Stand Up

Festival de Independencia  Saturday September 29, 2007 Nimitz High School auditorium (forum) and cafeteria (entertainment and dinner). 7-10

The Nimitz High School organization, Latinos Stand Up, will be hosting its first annual festival de independencia this month at Nimitz High School .This event will initiate with a public town hall entitled “The Path to Independence: Latinos and Education.” Anna Deharo from La Preciosa 97.1 will mediate a discussion including panelists Irving Mayor Herbert Gears, Dora Morón - Director of ESL/Bilingual services IISD, José Villaseñor -Director of parent and student academic services IISD, Jaime Nisstháuz – Uplift Education and professor at UTArlington, and María de la Luz Flores - president of the Latinos Stand Up parent organization. The evening’s conversation will unite diverse groups in a conversation about how community, local schools, universities and parents can work together to confront the present reality of low Latino academic performance and college completion. While recognizing the liberating power of education, the discussion will also analyze already taken and needed paths to strong public schools. The forum will be followed by a dinner catered by Danals and El Rancho. During dinner, the Nimitz Ballet Folklórico, directed by Josie Soto, and other groups will provide entertainment. Tickets can be purchased at Nimitz High School for $10 by coming to our parent center at Nimitz High School, room 132, or contacting us at 972-273-8674 or netanyaeven@irvingisd.net.