Hispanic teens challenged to involve peers

COLUMBUS - The effort to reduce the drop-out rate among Hispanic high school students by getting them more involved in extra-curricular activities has turned into a challenge for the students themselves.

Sara Colford, assistant principal at Columbus High School, informed the Columbus Public Schools Hispanic Advisory committee about the formation and focus of a new Hispanic Leadership Group during the committee meeting Thursday.

“These students have great ideas. They just don't know how to get them started,” Colford said.

Those participating in the group were identified by school staff and fellow peers as having leadership qualities, she said.

“It is kids getting other kids involved,” Colford said.

About a dozen members will attempt to identify other Hispanic student leaders, give recognition to positive, influential Hispanic students and attempt to identify why Hispanic students are not involved in high school activities. The group also will attempt to develop activities to increase Hispanic student involvement.

Colford said they will try to accomplish these goals through leadership meetings, student surveys, hosting a Hispanic parent night and organizing and promoting events and activities.

These students are not the only ones trying to reach out and assist the Hispanic community to take charge of themselves.

Tammy Bichlmeier, executive director of the Columbus Collaborative Team, also presented a possible resource for the Hispanic community to help itself, providing information from the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People.

Examples given by committee members of continual obstacles towards providing assistance to the Hispanic community included transportation and child care.

According to the program, a local grant of up to $10,000 may be awarded to groups who:

n are oppressed by poverty or social systems,

n want to take charge of their own lives,

n have organized or are organizing to do something about their own conditions,

n have decided that what they are going to do will produce long term changes for their lives or communities,

n will control the programs they own and will directly benefit from them.

Bichlmeier said at least half of the people directing a project need to be low-income as well.

“We are considering some type of project for the Hispanic community,” she said. Bichlmeier then challenged the group by asking: “Do we have some leaders that might be willing to take something on?”