NOTICIAS | April 2026

Coalition Building Grounded in Rest and Renewal

Please click "View Entire Message" at the bottom of this email to read the entire April Noticias

Happy Spring CoCEAL Comunidad (Community),

We appreciate everyone's patience as our CoCEAL Board returned from a two-week break at the beginning of March to rest and returned with ideas, plans, and actions to move forward in supporting the communities we serve.

During this break, we attended Latino/a Advocacy Day from March 14th - 16th in downtown Denver hosted by Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) and Voces Unidas de las Montanas (Voices United of the Mountains) which taught Latine communities how to lobby, demand legislative change through story telling, and provide the foundation for community power-building.

There also has been a lot of behind-the-scenes work at CoCEAL in terms of legislative support for bills such as the Thriving Bill (HB26-1006) which is currently on it's way to the Senate.

For further information and updates about the work CoCEAL is engaging in, please continue reading our noticias to stay connected with us!

Gracias a todos (Thank you all so much),

Vanessa Torres

Communications Director

Colorado Coalition of Educational Advancement of Latinos

CoCEAL

vanessa.torres@coceal.org

She/Her/Ella

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Spring Membership Meeting Recap:

Thank you for attending!

Our CoCEAL Board is sincerely appreciative and deeply thankful to everyone who attended our Spring CoCEAL Meeting on Friday, February 27th.

CoCEAL Board was blown away by all the support and attendance during this meeting as the room was filled with CoCEAL members from different institutions, community partners, and leadership.

A special shout out to Estefani, who helped coordinate and provide gift baskets to three of our attendees who received a gift basket (pictured below) as part of our giveaway!

We want to continue holding these spaces and providing various avenues for CoCEAL members to engage in the work we are doing.

Additional information will be provided in our socials and Noticias regarding upcoming Summer and Fall CoCEAL membership meetings.

*Picture is displaying our spring CoCEAL meeting giveaway baskets*

Summer 26' CoCEAL Meeting:

Date TBD in June

Summer 26' CoCEAL membership meeting details coming soon, Date TBD in June.

This meeting will be centered around coalition alignment, strategy-building, and shared advocacy goals.

Please stay connected for further info about our upcoming summer CoCEAL membership meeting!

Save the Date: CoCEAL Fall Meeting September 18th at Pueblo Community College!

Upcoming Fall 26' CoCEAL Membership meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 18th!

Location: Pueblo Community College from 9 AM - 2:30PM

Our Fall meeting's theme is to leverage cultural values and spaces as a site of organizing and engagement.

Details on how to register for our Fall meeting will be coming soon

Questions or concerns? Please email Karl Diaz-Sanders at KARL.DIAZ-SANDERS@UCDENVER.EDU

**As a reminder our membership meetings are exclusive to paid members only. Click here for a full list of member institutions and the institutional representatives. Reach out to your institutional representative to see the membership level your institution has secured and participation in this event.**

Behind the Scenes Legislative Work

Message from Karl, CoCEAL President, about CoCEAL's Legislative Work:

Although we have been on break for a few weeks, we have not stepped away from supporting our community. We are currently helping support House Bill 26-1006 alongside Colorado Mountain College, sponsored by Representative Velasco, Representative Martinez, and Senator Roberts.

A little background on the bill. It creates a voluntary, outcomes based state designation for Colorado higher education institutions that are demonstrably improving student success, especially for historically underserved populations. The bill shifts recognition from who institutions enroll to how well students succeed. It establishes a thriving designation for colleges using existing data already submitted to the Colorado Department of Higher Education, along with an advisory committee that will evaluate outcomes. These designations may include titles such as First Generation Thriving Institution, Rural Thriving Institution, and Transfer Thriving Institution. The bill does not create new funding, does not change the higher education funding formula, and does not penalize institutions that choose not to participate.

With this, our president has been testifying in support of the bill. It has already moved through committee and passed the House, and is now headed to the Senate where we are confident it will receive bipartisan support. If all goes well, the bill will move to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. In addition to testifying, our president has been working with several nonprofits across Colorado, including COLOR Latina, VOCES, and Young Invincibles, to advocate for the bill. At the same time, our president has been mentoring college and high school students in the legislative process, even bringing students to the Capitol to actively participate. These students have engaged directly with legislators, discussing bills that support the Latino community and speaking out against those that could cause harm.

This is just the beginning of our new direction. In the coming months, we will be reaching out to colleges across Colorado to invite students to participate in the legislative process next year. We want to ensure they have the time and training needed to engage effectively. Our goal is to bring students to Denver between the second and fourth week of March, where they will visit the Capitol, connect with legislators, and use their voices to advocate for the issues that matter most to them and their communities.

Se Si Puede!

Karl Diaz-Sanders

CoCEAL President

Colorado Coalition of Educational Advancement of Latinos

CoCEAL

KARL.DIAZ-SANDERS@UCDENVER.EDU

He/Him/His

Submit Content for our Noticias and Social Media!

Content for Noticias!

Noticias is one of the prime communication tools for CoCEAL to reach its members and others interested in the mission of ensuring that LatinX reach their fullest educational potential.

Institutional Members can post to Noticias free of charge.

Reach over 400 diverse higher education professionals

Topics on Events, News & General Information are welcome

Submit your content here!

Register/Renew Your 2025-2026 CoCEAL Membership!

Don't miss our membership meetings, renew your membership today!

We offer several membership categories to draw a diverse group of individuals and organizations interested in supporting our mission.

Please check with your institutional representative to see if your institution has renewed or will renew your CoCEAL membership for the 2025-2026 year. (Click HERE, to see a list of last year's institutional representatives).

Individual memberships are also available at just $25.

Questions/Concerns? Please email Karl Diaz-Sanders at KARL.DIAZ-SANDERS@UCDENVER.EDU and our Treasurer, Alisya Rodriguez at ALISYA.RODRIGUEZ@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU.

Purchase CoCEAL Membership Here!

CoCEAL's Response to Dolores Huerta's Statement

Please read CoCEAL Board's response to Dolores Huerta's Statement regarding her story as a survivor and the challenges she faced within the United Farm Workers (UFW).

To read Dolores Huerta's official statement, please click here.

We believe all survivors and deeply understand how oppressive systems such as patriarchy is utilized to silence women who speak up about their stories and experiences.

As stated below, we all have a shared responsibility to create and uphold spaces in which others feel space to share their experiences.

*Karl, our CoCEAL President, recognizes the importance of centering Latina voices while stepping back and actively encourages other male-identifying leaders to follow this practice.*

Community Resources & Opportunities

The Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition (CIRC)

Emergency Fund Now Open!

Please below about CIRC's emergency fund to provide rapid response financial support to immigrant individuals and families.

To donate to the fund, scan the QR code or click here (bit.ly/CIRCemergencyfund).

To learn more and apply, please click below.

Apply here / Aplica aquí!

Latino/a Advocacy Day

A few CoCEAL Board members attended the 20th annual Colorado Latino/a Advocacy Day (LAD) hosted in Denver on March 14-16th, 2026.

Colorado Latino/a Advocacy Day (LAD) was launched in 2007 in response to anti-immigrant policies and rising anti-Latino/a sentiment. For nearly two decades, it has served as a powerful gathering space where Latinos/as from every corner of Colorado come together to build collective power, demand change, and advocate directly on the issues shaping our lives, families, and futures.

It was a pleasure to attend this event hosted by Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) and Voces Unidas de las Montanas (Voices United of the Mountains) I learned valuable lessons about lobbying and re-emphasizing how important it is to own your own story and stand in your power.

Through power and education, we can build the community power we need to support and nourish our communities.

Statewide opportunities for students and educators to engage with Colorado’s judiciary

Please see the exciting opportunities to connect students, educators, and aspiring legal professionals with Colorado’s judiciary through the Judicial Officer Outreach (JOO) Program, a statewide initiative designed to illuminate the courts and inspire the next generation of leaders in law and public service.

Through JOO, they create meaningful, educational pathways that strengthen understanding of the judiciary, build mentorship connections, and promote accessibility to the courts.

Current Opportunities Include:

Voices of Justice: Conversations that Illuminate the Judiciary

An engaging dialogue with Colorado judges and law clerks exploring judicial pathways, ethics, clerkships, and careers in public service. These small-group sessions offer an opportunity to ask questions, hear personal stories, and gain a deeper understanding of the judiciary.

Courtroom Observation & Q&A

Experience live court proceedings followed by guided discussions with judicial officers. Learn how cases move through the system, observe courtroom decorum, and see judicial leadership in practice.

Justice in Motion Courthouse Tours

Interactive courthouse tours that reveal the inner workings of Colorado’s courts while highlighting their community impact and service to justice.

Judicial Panel Discussions

Panels featuring judges, clerks, and legal professionals who share insights on judicial leadership, ethics, and pathways to the bench. Bringing the human side of the judiciary to life.

These initiatives are open to high school, college, and law students statewide. Whether you are a student exploring legal careers, an educator hoping to inspire civic engagement, or a professional seeking to support judicial mentorship, your participation helps strengthen the connection between the courts and the communities we serve.

To get involved, please register here:

Judicial Officer Outreach Program Registration Form

Or scan the QR code on the attached flyer.

For questions, collaboration opportunities, or to bring a program to your campus, contact us at JOOVoicesofJustice@gmail.com.

CU Boulder PhD Study Seeking Salvadoran Participants

Jessica Flores, second-generation Salvadorena and fourth-year PhD candidate at CU Boulder, is looking for research participants as part of their study, Between Worlds: Reclamando lo Salvadoreno through Testimonies of Identity, Belonging, and Educacion.

The goal is to amply the voices and lived experiences of second-generation Salvadorans as they navigate and negotiate their cultural identities in the United States

Questions/Concerns, email Jessica at Jessica.Flores-1@colorado.edu.

Que Onda? What's Happening?

Forms Open for Submissions!

¿Que Onda? What's happening? was created to keep us connected by sharing news of life happenings, stories, events, accomplishments, milestones, birthdays, etc.

We want to continue using this platform as a way to share news amongst our communities!

If you would like to submit to our "Que Onda?/What's Happening?" form, please click below.

Que Onda? / What's Happening? Form Here

CoCEAL is committed to providing our members to the latest job openings in the state of Colorado. Please know we are working hard to have the latest postings updated weekly so that members can have access to job openings in real time. Concurrently, this job board would not be possible without the participation of our member institutions and other organizations that are committed to the diversification of their workforce and the hiring of latinx people. Please feel free to share the google form link below with your Human Resources departments and other organizations that would like to post job announcements on our job board.

Fire Science Faculty | Colorado Mountain College, Carbondale, CO

Career Counselor | Front Range Community College, Longmont, CO

Faculty, Music | Front Range Community College, Fort Collins, CO

Faculty, Biology | Front Range Community College, Westminster, CO

Faculty, Spanish | Front Range Community College, Westminster , CO

Faculty, Multimedia Graphic Design | Front Range Community College, Westminster or Fort Collins, CO

Faculty, Anatomy & Physiology | Front Range Community College, Fort Collins, CO

Business Faculty | Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood, CO

Administrative Assistant III | Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood, CO

Faculty, Veterinary Technology | Front Range Community College, Larmier Campus, Fort Collins, CO

Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) / Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) Faculty | Colorado Mountain College, College-wide, CO

Associate Counsel | University of Colorado System Administration, Denver, CO