BACK TO SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST - Aug. 16

Call for Submissions – Deadline August 16

Latinitas is organizing a covergirl makeover contest. High school girls from the greater El Paso region are invited to submit an essay describing why they are proud of their Latina culture for a chance to win a free professional hairstyle, make-up consultation, and photo shoot. The top winners will be featured in Latinitas Magazine, the first digital magazine by and for Latina youth. Essays should be 450-750 words in length.   Essays should focus on how your family came to the U.S. or how you maintain your cultural roots.  The deadline for submissions is August 16th. Submissions can be emailed to latinitaselpaso@yahoo.com or submitted on-line at www.Mylatinitas.com.

Become a Youth Editor for Latinitas

TeenLatinitas.com is the first digital magazine by and for Latina youth. This national award-winning online magazine is currently recruiting female teens to serve as magazine editors of our on-line magazine.   Latinitas is a dedicated to being a strong voice for young Latinas, telling the stories of our community and serving as a forum for self-expression.  Editors commit to volunteering as an editor for a year-long term and dedicating a minimum of 5-10 hours per month on writing, editing and multimedia projects. Youth editors are selected through an application process that includes an application form, writing samples and an interview. If you are interested in a career in media or journalism, want to build your writing skills, want to make a difference and want to get published, then this is the perfect opportunity for you. To get involved, complete our on-line application:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3MT6RKP

Teen Leadership Institute - Accepting Applications

Young women interested in developing their leadership skills are invited to apply for the Teen Leadership Institute. The institute will consist of a leadership conference and monthly workshops on leadership methods, decision making skills, goal setting, social justice, public speaking, civic engagement and volunteering. This leadership program is aimed at encouraging and motivating Latina teen girls to make a difference in their community through leadership and volunteerism. Young women will engage in interactive activities that will help them explore their own strengths and cultivate their leadership abilities. The program will run throughout the school year leading up to a graduation ceremony in May.

Benefits:
•Develop leadership skills
•Meet new friends
•Connect with mentors and role models
•Complete community service projects
•Make a difference

Eligibility:
•Be a Hispanic girl in 9-12 grade
•Demonstrate an interest in volunteerism
•Demonstrate leadership capabilities
•Commit to entire school year
•Must pay $25 annual membership fee
(a limited number of need-base scholarships are available)

Requirements:
•Organize 2 community service projects
•Complete a minimum of 20 volunteer hours during the year
•Participate in October 16th training retreat
•Commit to attending monthly meetings

To apply: submit an online application at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/623JRWT
Deadline to apply is October 4th.

Latinitas Saturday Camps - July

LATINITAS SATURDAY CAMPS

July 10 - 1:00-3:00pm at the Judge Marquez Public Library (610 N. Yarbrough)

July 3 - 10:00-12:00pm at Thomas Branigan Library (Las Cruces)

July 17 - 10:00-12:00pm at Thomas Branigan Library (Las Cruces)

Girls are invited to get in touch with their creative side in the Latinitas Saturday Camps. Girls in grades 4-8 will explore ways to express themselves creatively through photos, writing, arts & crafts and film. The Saturday Camp series is hosted the 2nd Saturday of every month from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the Judge Marquez Public Library (610 N. Yarbrough). The Las Cruces Saturday Camps are hosted the 1st & 3rd Saturday of every month from 10:00am to 12:00pm at the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library(200 E. Picacho Ave. Las Cruces, New Mexico). To register, call latinitaselpaso@yahoo.com, call 239.5051 or LatinitasMagazine.org.

Latinitas All-Star Athlete Contest

LATINITAS ALL-STAR ATHLETE - CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

To spotlight outstanding Hispanic female athletes, TeenLatinitas.com, the first digital magazine made for and by young Latinas, is launching a nationwide search for girls who exemplify superior athletic achievement, high academic standards, community involvement and outstanding leadership qualities. The magazine is accepting nominations of Latina teens, ages 13–19, who participates in school-sponsored athletics or open amateur sports and exhibits a dedication to leadership, community service and academic excellence for its 2010 Latinitas Sports All-Star Award. Winners will be featured in a front page article in Latinitas teen publication: TeenLatinitas.com. Females of Hispanic descent living in the United States of America or in a U.S. territory between the ages of 13-19 are eligible for nomination. Nominees are judged foremost on athletic accomplishment as well as their extra-curricular activities, community service and scholarship. For more information call 915.239.5051 or email latinitasawards@yahoo.com.

Latinitas in the Community: June 2010

Latinitas has been out in the community making a difference.  Here are highlights of our events over the last month.  

Teen Leadership Institute:

June 26, 10-12:30pm at Latinitas Headquarters (1359 Lomaland)

Latinitas hosts monthly leadership workshops for teens on leadership methods, effective communication, decision making skills, goal setting, public speaking, civic engagement and volunteering. This leadership program is aimed at encouraging and motivating Latina teen girls to explore their own strengths, cultivate their leadership abilities, discover their voice and make a difference in their community through leadership and volunteerism.

Stay Teen Day

El Paso has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the state of Texas. To counteract this trend, Latinitas joined the El Paso Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition, and we partnered with the Teen Advisory Board at the University Medical Center to develop a series of youth-produced public service announcements on teen pregnancy prevention. Latinitas also served as a planning team member for the Stay Teen event held on May 28^th at EPCC which brought together 200 local middle school students to raise awareness of the issue of teen pregnancy and to encourage youth to enjoy their teen years and prolong parenthood. This free event featured testimonials from teen parents about the challenges of being a young parent as well as an exhibit of information tables, a screening of Latinitas-produced videos and a carnival of fun teen-friendly activities where kids celebrated being young.

La Posada Home

Latinitas is partnering with La Posada Home, a shelter which helps homeless women and their children who have suffered abuse or abandonment, to offer monthly creative expression workshops for pre-teen girls living in the shelter.

Aliviane Partnership

Latinitas is proud to welcome Aliviane's Prides Center as its newest Affiliate Club Partner. Latinitas Affiliate Clubs are volunteer-led clubs made up of girls who participate in our creative expression activities. Latinitas volunteer Eva Alarcon has taken on the leadership role as the Club Leader and will be leading weekly workshops for middle school girls in the Chamizal neighborhood at Aliviane's Prides Recreation Center. Aliviane is a nonprofit that provides mental health and substance abuse and prevention services.

Club Latinitas Field Day

To celebrate the end of the school year, Latinitas hosted a Field Day for girls enrolled in several of our after-school programs on Saturday, June 5^th at Armijo Park from 1-4pm. This end of the year celebration brought girls together for an afternoon of swimming, games and summer activities. During the 2009-2010 school year, Latinitas hosted after-school programs at Horizon Middle School, Armijo Recreation Center, Judge Marquez, Clardy Fox, Memorial, Ysleta, Richard Burges and Main Public Libraries. In our clubs, girls were guided by college mentors in learning how to create self-expression projects. Latinitas weekly after-school clubs provided a fun, safe and girl-only place where Latinitas build confidence, self-esteem, cultural pride, while learning to make healthy decisions and become leaders. This school year, girls in our clubs created projects such as making a collage explaining how beautiful they are, creating a friendship bracelet, designing a retablo on teen issues, creating a leyenda, writing a corrido, making a quilt, sharing survival tips for teens, discussing the consequences of being a teen mom, making a radio talk show, creating a parody of America’s next top model, organizing a Global Youth Service Project which served the El Paso community, creating a mother’s day craft and filming a telenovela.

Latinitas Documentary