ASPIRA Association Charter Schools
"An Investment in Latino Youth"
Mission
The ASPIRA Association promotes the empowerment of the Puerto Rican and Latino community by developing and nurturing the leadership, intellectual, and cultural potential of its youth so that they may contribute their skills and dedication to the fullest development of the Puerto Rican and Latino community everywhere.
Based on this vision, the ASPIRA Association has defined its mission as follows: to empower the Puerto Rican and Latino community through advocacy and the education and leadership development of its youth.
Profile
The ASPIRA Association is the only national Hispanic organization dedicated exclusively to developing the educational and leadership capacity of Hispanic youth. Since 1961, ASPIRA has been working at the grass-roots level to provide programs that encourage Hispanic students to stay in school, prepare them to succeed in the educational arena, develop their leadership skills, and to serve their community.
Of prime importance to faculty and staff is the development of students’ academic and personal potential. The schools implement educational and related programs, setting forth the schools’ curriculum, instructional methods, and many distinctive instructional techniques to be used. They create an environment that encourages students to improve, as well as increase, their own potential by focusing on the educational strengths and needs of the students. In addition, through Leadership classes, students participate in the ASPIRA "AAA Process" of Awareness, Analysis and Action.
ASPIRA is a very diverse organization working with substantial numbers of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Central Americans, Mexicans, and Cubans, as well as with African Americans, non-Hispanic whites, and Haitians, among others.
Results
Since our foundation in 1961, ASPIRA has built a strong record of accomplishments:
• Proven track record: ASPIRA boasts a 95% graduation rate among its Aspirantes or ASPIRA youth as well as a 90% rate of those who continue on to college.
• Rated as one of the top ten charities in the nation: As reported by Money Magazine, the American Institute of Philanthropy rated ASPIRA an A+ organization, based not only on our compliance with programmatic standards, but also on program spending, fund-raising efficiency and size of reserves.
• International outreach: ASPIRA programs are used by over 10,000 organizations operating telecenters in North America, Central America, South America, Africa, the Caribbean and Spain through several international cooperative agreements.
• Youth leadership development: ASPIRA has over 45 of experience in implementing youth leadership development programs in inner cities. Virtually every second generation Hispanic leader, in the Northeast, Chicagoland, Southeast and Puerto Rico, has been an Aspirante.