Edu Futuro

Emerging leaders programs (elp) the emerging leaders program builds a robust educational pipeline to empower under-resourced youth from middle school through college. This four-stage program tackles systemic inequities, fosters leadership, and propels first-generation students toward college and successful careers: 1.stem/robotics clubs: designed for children in middle school, providing students with their first exposure to such subject areas as basic programming, robot design, and engineering. Addresses the minority employment gap in high-growth career fields by helping grades 6-8 students increase confidence in stem subject areas. 2.pre-elp is a virtual social emotional learning (sel) program specifically designed to help students in grades 6-8 develop their leadership skills as they transition to high school. 3.elp i: prepares students in grades 9-12 for college through workshops, mentorship, speech competitions, college campus visits, and career exploration. A mentor is assigned a small group of four to six students to offer sufficient time and attention to individual participants as they prepare resumes, write essays, and complete scholarship applications. 4.elp ii: focuses on high school seniors, providing intensive one-on-one mentorship for college applications, scholarships, and fafsa/vasa completion to ensure they can afford higher education and graduate successfully. Fafsa/vasa assistance: helps students and families navigate the fafsa/vasa process to secure financial aid for college. Through workshops and one-on-one counseling, edu-futuro demystifies the process, ensuring that families maximize their eligibility for funding. 5.elp iii: offers support to first-year college students, pairing them with mentors to navigate college life and build essential professional skills. Successfully extends our "classroom-to-career" continuum of academic support and guidance to students attending local colleges. Additionally, the summer internships program provides graduates of the elp with opportunities to gain professional experience through internships with local business partners, building both soft and hard skills for future careers.

Emergency assistance fund in spring 2020 when many people lost their jobs due to the pandemic, edu- futuro realized that many of its beneficiaries were not receiving needed help. Edu-futuro applied for and received grants and individual contributions to help families pay for basic necessities - rent, utilities, internet. In response to the disproportionate impact of covid-19 in our community, edu-futuro became one of the largest providers of emergency assistance to northern virginia's immigrant families, providing case management services 1,200 families, and disbursing more than one million in direct financial aid for rent, food, and utilities. We attribute much of our successes to our community support. For example, we provided referrals to the families we serve through the fairfax county department of neighborhood and community services. In addition, we also successfully leveraged thousands of dollars from the department of health services, fairfax county's community provider coordination team, greater washington community foundation/open society foundations, the human services alliance of greater prince william, arlington thrive, the arlington food assistance center, catholic charities, and many other local safety-net organization partners offering assistance during the pandemic.

Workforce development services (wds) the workforce development services (wds) program equips parents with tools to enhance their employability and financial stability through the following offerings: technology for parents: training on internet navigation, school-related apps, and digital tools. Resume and cover letter workshops: guidance to improve job application materials and expand career opportunities. Financial literacy workshops: training on money management, debt handling, and identity theft prevention. Ged program: offers comprehensive guidance for students preparing for the ged exams. Edu-futuro facilitates access to study resources, online platforms, and funding for test fees, ensuring that participants can achieve this crucial educational milestone.