LULAC National Educational Service Center of Dallas

Since its inception in 1978, LNESC Dallas has established many partnerships with governmental, educational, corporate, and nonprofit partners to allow it to provide pre-collegiate academic enrichment programs at middle and high schools throughout North Texas. Given LNESC's objectives of increasing the number and percent of low income and latinx students who earn a bachelor's degree, LNESC has partnered with its parent organization (LULAC) to establish a Vertical Mentoring Program bringing together the LULAC Adult, Collegiate, and High School Youth Councils to provide an academic mentoring program. This design provides for professional adults to reach out to and support university students who in- turn reach out to community college students and high school students who in-turn reach out to younger students to promote educational attainment.

In keeping with its mission of fostering the development of low-income, first-generation in college youth, ‚ÄãLNESC Dallas has applied for and been selected to receive grants from the US Department of Education to operate two (2) TRIO Upward Bound Projects. These projects are the core of our service delivery and annually serve one hundred and twenty-five (125) students at Moises E. Molina, L.G. Pinkston and Sunset High Schools in Dallas ISD with precollegiate services including mentoring, tutoring and college preparation services. LNESC enhances the value and impact of these services by partnering with various corporate partners to also deliver several middle school projects including campuses in Arlington, Texas (Carter Middle School) and other campuses throughout North Texas in Collin and Denton Counties.

‚ÄãAs a pre-collegiate/leadership development program LNESC Dallas receives $527,875 in funding from the US Department of Education to implement our Upward Bound Projects which is the largest source of funding for the LNESC Dallas Center. but it also receives approximately $85,000 in funding for outside programs including our citizenship training for Dallas County Adult Permanent Residents who are seeking to become US Citizens. This program is completely free to the aspiring citizens and is delivered in partnership with the UNT-Dallas and annually serves between 100 to 150 participants and graduates on average 75 to 85 new US Citizens per year.

Overall, LNESC Dallas impacts between eight hundred to one thousand students annually who are motivated to become "Life-Long Learners and Life-Long Leaders".

Our Needs

LNESC Dallas has identified serveral needs includeing the following:

CAPITAL NEEDS - LNESC is developed a short-term goal of raising $175,000 for its capital needs. These include about $125,000 for building improvements to its main office complex in Oak Cliff. Currently, we have secured $56,000 in donations toward that goal and are hoping to secure the balance to complete the refurbishment of the exterior of our nearly 2,000 square foot building.

PROGRAM NEEDS - LNESC Dallas Advisory Board and Community Needs assessments have identified an urgent need to develop Latino Youth and Young Adults into community servant leaders. LNESC is determined to meet this need by providing the Leadership development programs at area high schools which prepare participants for leadership roles. Past programs have been extremely successful, but due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 Pandemic these programs have been severely curtailed. Historically, these programs have yielded community, educational and industry leaders who are now contributing to their respective communities and we are seeking approximately $65,000 to fund the basic start-up of what is envisioned as a self-sustaining program in the future.