Education Takes Center Stage at Public Policy Conference

Join CHCI Chair Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez at the 2010 CHCI Public Policy Conference for the opening luncheon, America's Promise: Education, on Monday, September 13, 2010, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Chair Velázquez will deliver the keynote speech focusing on the national imperative for the Latino community to raise college graduation rates as the population continues to grow.

The opening luncheon is sponsored by NEA.

CHCI Service Award
Rep. Rubén Hinojosa and cable network Nickelodeon will receive the CHCI Service Award for their work to advance the educational attainment of Latinos and all Americans. Hinojosa will be recognized for his commitment to improving educational opportunities for under-privileged youth. As the Chairman of the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness Subcommittee, Hinojosa is dedicated to improving the accessibility and affordability of higher education for the Latino community, and has tirelessly fought to expand and enhance post-baccalaureate opportunities at Minority-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Cable network Nickelodeon. will be recognized for its outstanding educational programming for children, most notably "Dora the Explorer," which celebrated its tenth anniversary on the air as the top-rated preschool program in the nation.

2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award
CHCI will also award its 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award to Gabriella Gomez, a CHCI 1996-97 Public Policy  Fellow. Gomez is currently the Assistant Secretary for Legislative & Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education and is the first CHCI alumnus to be nominated and confirmed to an administration post by the U.S. Senate. She is responsible for advising the secretary on legislative matters pending before Congress and is a prime example of an alumnus who has strived to improve the Latino community.