Community Achievements and Reflections |
*Please click "View Entire Message" at the bottom of this email to read the entire Noticias*
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Dear CoCEAL Comunidad (Community),
I hope you all have been taking care of yourselves and your surrounding community throughout this time. As folks may be planning to take time off or are gearing up for a busy season, it can be difficult to manage various responsibilities at once while finding time to slow down if possible.
That is why giving yourself grace and to others can go a long way as we are all taking it one step at a time. This can be a reflection time for many to look back on the academic year and provide some breathing room before the next one.
I hope you all are creating space to rest and pour back into your own cups. Although the truth is, we can't "self-care" ourselves out of a system based on capitalism and profit that benefits from the manual labour of working-class communities of color.
Through intentional, carved time for deep rest and reflection within ourselves and our community, we are enacting resistance solely by valuing our mind, body, and soul.
As in the wise words of Audre Lorde, self-described as a 'Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, mother, warrior, poet.'
"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare" - Audre Lorde
Please check out the Nap Ministry, one of the non-profit organizations I adore and respect for their work in encouraging others to rest, founded by Tricia Hersey which I recommend you check out!
Gracias a todos (thank you to all),
Vanessa Torres
Communications Director
Colorado Coalition of Educational Advancement of Latinos
CoCEAL
vanessa.torres@coceal.org
She/Her/Ella
| | Save the Date: CoCEAL Fall Meeting September 18th at Pueblo Community College! | |
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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.
Stay tuned for details on how to register for our Fall meeting - coming soon
Questions or concerns? Please email Karl Diaz-Sanders at KARL.DIAZ-SANDERS@UCDENVER.EDU
| | Celebration of Culture: Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival | |
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As we gather in Pueblo for our CoCEAL Fall Meeting in September, it is important to set time aside not only to celebrate our gains, but also celebrate our culture!
The Chile & Frijoles (Chile & Beans) Festival is scheduled to take place on September 18th - 20th.
Learning about Pueblo's agriculture-based community, enjoy the wide-variety of chilies, local entertainment, and support local vendors!
Please click here to learn more details about the festival.
| **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.** | | 2026 Colorado Latino Policy Summit Registration is Open! | | |
You are cordially invited to register for the 2026 Colorado Latino Policy Summit.
Presented by CLLARO (Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization) and Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Friday, August 28, 2026
at the Tivoli, Auraria Campus in Denver
If you are a community member, a student, faculty, or are working in the policy, nonprofit, health, civic, democracy, or leadership space, this is the event for you.
Topics:
Affordable health care
Disrupting mass deportations
Housing and financial empowerment
The Future of Hispanic Serving Colleges and Universities
Latino workforce development
Latino voter engagement and the future of US democracy
Latino Organizations Working Together
Forum of multiparty election candidates
Register Here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-colorado-latino-policy-summit-tickets-1988211727799
Admission $50, student discounts available
To sponsor or volunteer, contact grc@cllaro.org
Sponsors:
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Colorado Coalition for the Educational Advancement of Latines (CoCEAL)
The Colorado Health Foundation
FirstBank
Southwest Airlines
| Celebrating El Centro's 50th Anniversary and Honoring Legacy | |
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At Colorado State University, El Centro is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and long legacy!
As El Centro is gearing up for a year-long celebration, it is also important to note the upbringing of this critical center was the result of coalition building with CSU's Black African American Cultural Center, who shares El Centro's legacy.
How can you support and celebrate alongside El Centro's 50th Anniversary?
Details coming soon for the upcoming celebration on Friday, September 11th: Half a Century of El Centro: Past, Present, y Poder from 6:00 - 8:30PM.
| | Governor Jared Polis signed HB26-1006 into law on June 1st! | |
On Monday, June 1st, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed HB26-1006, the Thriving Institution Designations for Higher Education Act!
This is an exciting milestone, as the legislation establishes a framework for designating higher education institutions that meet specific criteria, creating opportunities for additional support and resources that benefit students from all backgrounds.
This achievement is the culmination of the hard work and dedication of many individuals and organizations, including Representative Velasco, Senator Roberts, Yesenia Silva Estrada, along with Colorado Mountain College, and many others whose efforts helped make this legislation possible.
To learn more, please read an article from the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) here and another article from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) here.
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Thursday, June 11th -
Governor Jared Polis signed HB26-1276 into law
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Alongside SB26-1006, Governor Polis signed another bill, SB26-1276, on June 11th that enhances oversight and pathways for accountablility immigrant enforcement as well as detention facilities.
Lamine, Lead Organizer for Colorado People's Alliance (COPA), describes their sentiments about the hard work of COPA, Colorado Immigration Rights Coalition (CIRC), various coalition members, and community members in showing up for this bill. Despite the bill being revised and looking quite different from its original version, our community power is in numbers, and progress is slowly being made.
We thank organizations such as COPA and CIRC, whose work towards passing bills that further protect our community and help our communities get involved in the legislative process for a bill.
Please see the webinar below from CIRC on Tuesday, June 30th from 5:30 - 7 PM to understand in-depth what SB26-1276 means for your community and new requirements for law enforcement regarding immigration.
| | Submit Content for our Noticias and Social Media! | |
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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
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Coming Soon: Updated Process for 2026-2027 CoCEAL Membership!
*Please read below about the updated process beginning July 2026*
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Please keep an eye out for an update regarding our membership process for CoCEAL beginning July 26'
We will send an announcement regarding the simplified process to join our CoCEAL membership.
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.
| | Community News & Opportunities | | Upcoming FASFA 25-26' Deadlines | | |
This is a reminder about the upcoming deadlines for FASFA for 25-26'
Please keep in mind the Federal Deadline for FASFA is on June 30th, 2026 at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time (CT).
The deadline to make any corrections or edits is on September 12th, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT.
Lastly, it is important to know State and College deadlines vary, to learn more information regarding upcoming deadlines for FASFA, please click here.
| | The Significance of Juneteenth | |
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This past Friday, June 19th marks an important day in the history of the United States, and most importantly in Black communities throughout the nation.
Please see the statement regarding Juneteenth from our president, Karl Diaz, by clicking here.
It is essential to understand the history of Juneteenth while acknowledging and comprehending the centuries of systemic generational trauma and oppression the Black Community faced and continues to.
We all have a responsibility to educate ourselves and stand on supporting/defending all of our communities as the struggle to liberate ourselves includes every one of us.
| | La Raza Youth Leadership Conference | |
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Please see the information above from Servicios de La Raza regarding an upcoming La Raza Youth Leadership Conference on Friday, October 23rd at the Auraria Campus in Denver.
As described by Servicios de La Raza, this conference, "brings together young people for an inspiring and educational experience designed to foster leadership, cultural pride, and community engagement through a variety of workshops and presentations."
This year's theme is Feathers of Knowledge, Roots of Resistance and it is free to all Colorado High School-Aged Youth.
To learn more information, please click down below.
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Denver Pride Fest All Weekend Long
June 26th-28th
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Celebrate Pride month with your community all month long and and join the weekend long celebrations from June 26th through June 28th with the kick-off Pride Fest at the end of the weekend on 16th Street!
Pride Month in Denver has events all month from a various businesses.
To learn about all the events happening in June and Pride Fest, which is open to the public, please see below.
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Que Onda? What's Happening?
Forms Open for Submissions!
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¿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.
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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.
Trades Specialist, Plumber, Aims Community College
Building Maintenance Technician 1, Aims Community College, Greeley
SAFE Center Program Coordinator (2 openings), CSU Ft. Collins, Greeley
Institutional Events Coordinator, Front Range Community College, Westminster
Community Action Partner Contract Positions Part Time, Latino Community Foundation of Colorado, Denver, Aurora, Jefferson County, Boulder County, Larimer County, Alamosa County
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