JUNE 2025

What a success! Our 25th Anniversary Legacy Celebration exceeded all expectations!

Left to right: LEI Community Advisory Board (CAB) Chair and co-founder Dr. Sarai Rivera, State Senators Robyn Kenney and Michael Moore, LE Executive Director María Juncos-Gautier, State Representative David LeBoeuf, CAB member and co-founder Gladys Rodriguez, and WSU President Barry Maloney. 

Our 25th Anniversary Legacy Celebration Breakfast on May 2nd, 2025, exceeded expectations, with more attendees and contributors than anticipated! Thanks to your support, we reached our $25,000 fundraising goal to continue celebrating our 25th anniversary and sustain our work through 2025. We’re so grateful to our sponsors, partners, and community for making this milestone possible. Here's to 25 years of impact and many more to come! 

Thank you to State Senators Robyn Kennedy and Michael Moore, and State Representative David LeBoeuf for your presence and honoring the LEI with a State Senate Official Citation for its twenty-five years of legacy.

We are also profoundly grateful for the generous donations of Coghlin Services Fund, Carmen Vásquez, Gladys Rodríguez-Parker, Marta Rosa, and Worcester Community Action Council, as well as the sponsorships from EOS Foundation, Wellpoint, Quinsigamond Community College, Latin American Business Organization, Worcester Housing Authority, Worcester Public Schools, YMCA of Central Massachusetts, and Metro Credit Union.

Voices of the future! Youth testimonials for LEI's 25th Anniversary

A message of hope and enduring commitment

High school students from our YCU (Youth Civic Union) and LIDER (Latinos Involved in Discovering Educational Resources) programs with the LEI Executive Director Dr. Maria Juncos-Gautier. The students presented the results of their semester-long Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project, “The Shadow of Addiction on the Infinite Cycle of Drugs” during LEI’s Youth Summit on May 3, 2025.

For 25 years, the Latino Education Institute (LEI) at Worcester State University has been a beacon of resilience and opportunity, transforming lives and advancing equity for Latine students and their families across Worcester. With a steadfast mission to improve the academic achievement and well-being of Latine students and their families, the LEI has opened doors and planted seeds of promise that will continue to flourish for generations.

In times of great uncertainty, the LEI's work is more vital than ever. Hope is not passive. It is purposeful, courageous, and rooted in the belief that every student deserves the chance to thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances. 

As we look ahead to the next 25 years, let us not be daunted by instability, but rather fortified by the strength of a dedicated community that includes students, families, educators, and advocates who have brought us this far. Let us move forward with courage, innovation, and an unshakable belief in the power of education to change lives.

The story of the LEI is still being written, and its best chapters are yet to come.

María A. Juncos-Gautier, PhD

Executive Director

UniBank paves the way for LEI's 25th year with first donation

UniBank MA, in partnership with the Massachusetts Bankers Association, made the first donation of the year in honor of LEI’s 25th anniversary to continue celebrating our commitment to empowering Worcester’s Latine youth and families. We are profoundly grateful for their belief in our mission. With partners like them, the opportunities for growth and progress in our community are truly limitless. Special thanks to Michael Welch, UniBank CEO, and Tania Medina, UniBank AVP, Community Development Manager & Mortgage Loan Originator, for your leadership and support.

40% of high school students served by LEI enrolled at WSU!

To better understand the long-term impact of our high school programs, LEI partnered with the National Student Clearinghouse and Worcester Public Schools to analyze 14 years of available college enrollment data (2010–2024) for program participants. The results are exciting: 30.1% of students enrolled directly at Worcester State University (WSU), and an additional 10.7% transferred in, totaling over 40% of LEI students who continued their education at WSU! Another 39% enrolled after high school at Quinsigamond Community College (QCC).

This study affirms the power of LEI's after-school programming in creating meaningful college pathways, especially to local institutions like WSU and QCC. While this analysis focused on students from our year-long high school program (a class of approximately 33 students annually), LEI’s broader impact through community events reaches over 1,000 youth each year, further expanding opportunities for Latine students and supporting inclusive college enrollment efforts.

Fueling the future: empowering youth, driving change!

Report from our Program Manager Kathleen Orengo

The LIDER/YCU Youth Summit Empowers Future Leaders. Dr. Francisco Vivoni, professor at Worcester State University, worked with 30 LIDER/YCU students from 8 local high schools through a dual enrollment Sociology course featuring civic engagement. Using Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) students addressed issues such as addiction, DEI, immigration, and gang violence. Their year culminated in the “Breaking Barriers” Youth Summit on May 3rd, where students presented their YPAR project findings through a student-led gallery walk and discussions. The event drew 110+ community members and fostered powerful conversations.

One Circle Celebration Highlights Youth Vision. On May 14th, One Circle participants shared art and photovoice projects answering, “What changes would you like to see in your community?” From green spaces to food access and safer sidewalks, youth offered heartfelt ideas for local change. Families joined in celebrating their creativity, concluding with awards and recognition.

Southbridge Students Get a Glimpse of College Life. One hundred and twenty-seven (127) Southbridge Middle School students explored WSU during a fun and informative college day, held in collaboration with the Undergraduate Admission Office and Career Development Center. Through interactive sessions with staff and student ambassadors, they gained insights into college life, careers, and the admissions process. Campus tours, lunch, and trivia wrapped up a memorable experience.

More exciting updates!

Club Educación or Club E expanded its ESL classes to better serve parents and caregivers of Worcester Public Schools who are English language learners. This past spring, 95 participants enrolled in five different class sessions, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. Students were assessed to track their progress throughout the program. The initiative ran successfully through May, with strong hopes of continuing in the 2025–26 school year.  

Exploring the exciting world of STEM at our annual Avanza! STEM Expo!

What an incredible turnout at our AVANZA STEM Expo on April 26!

Seventy-three (73) students and some of their families filled the educational event, engaging in hands-on workshops and interactive booths focused on STEM careers. The energy was electric as curiosity and innovation took center stage.

This year’s event featured a plenary session and a workshop led by NASA Solar System Ambassadors, highlighting diverse STEM career opportunities at NASA and guiding participants through NASA Explorers: Build Your Own Model Solar System.

A huge thank-you to all our amazing collaborators, the brilliant students who brought this event to life, and our LEI team for their unwavering support in making this event a standout success!

Families and community update!

Mental health training 

In January 2025, Arianny Gonzalez de Ulloa and Sonia Jimenez de Chavez, LEI Promotoras de Salud (LEI Health Promoters), along with Carmen Rosado, our Family and Community Engagement Liaison, and Cathy Goodwin, ESL Instructor, participated in a Mental Health First Aid training course. They became certified as Mental Health First Aiders by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. The training was hosted online by the Center for Health Impact.

New training completed!

Carmen, our Family and Community Engagement Liaison, and a group of local community members completed a 3 day training through the Center for Health Impact. The topic of the training was Health Care Transitions and Effective System Navigation. Certificates and CEU’s towards the Community Health Worker License were awarded upon completion of the training. Congratulations to everyone!

Save the dates!

• July 7-July 11: Thrive & Shine: A Summer of Wellness & Expression
• August 16: Back-to-school educational fair with WPS, celebrating public education!
• September 30: 25th Anniversary Celebration final event/Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

Registration flyers will be available soon—stay tuned!

For more information and to register, contact

Carmen Rosado at crosado@worcester.edu or 508-798-6507, extension 4.

We appreciate the commitment of our donors, whose generous financial support in 2024-2025 is making it possible for us to carry out our mission!



City of Worcester * Balfour Foundation * Barr Foundation * Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) * Fred Harris Daniels Foundation * Greater Worcester Community Foundation * Hanover Insurance Group Foundation * Massachusetts Biomedical Initiative (BMI) * Massachusetts Department of Public Health * Office of District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. * Ruth H. & Warren A. Ellsworth Foundation * UMASS Memorial Health * UniBank * United Way of Central Massachusetts * Women’s Initiative of the United Way of Central Massachusetts * Worcester Public Schools (WPS) 

Let's rise together in support of the students we serve!

We are committed to continually enhancing our services for the Worcester community. To achieve this, we rely on your ongoing sponsorship, collaboration, and dedication to help us thrive.

The LEI Team

Make a $25 gift to the LEI for our 25 years of service!