Empowering Latinx Students: An Overview of the Latino Education Advancement Foundation

The Latino Education Advancement Foundation (LEAF) is dedicated to fostering equal opportunities for Latinx students, enabling them to excel in higher education and achieve their career aspirations for social and economic advancement. As a 501(c)(3) organization, LEAF offers a comprehensive suite of programs and education initiatives, encompassing support services for postsecondary enrollment and persistence, career pathways preparation, and educational equity advocacy.

LEAF's Mission and Core Values

LEAF's mission is rooted in the belief that every Latinx student deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. The organization is committed to providing the resources and support necessary for students to navigate the complexities of higher education and achieve their academic and professional goals. LEAF's core values include:

Equity: Ensuring that all Latinx students have access to the same opportunities, regardless of their socioeconomic background or immigration status.
Empowerment: Equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to advocate for themselves and their communities.
Community: Building a strong network of students, families, mentors, and partners who support each other's success.
Excellence: Striving for the highest standards of program quality and student outcomes.

Comprehensive Support System

LEAF's comprehensive support system is designed to address the unique challenges faced by Latinx students in higher education. This system includes:

Scholarships: Providing financial assistance to help students cover the costs of tuition, fees, and other educational expenses.
Workshops: Offering workshops on topics such as college application strategies, financial aid, time management, and study skills.
Peer Mentorship: Connecting students with peer mentors who can provide guidance, support, and encouragement.
Parent Engagement: Engaging parents in their children's education through workshops, events, and individual coaching.
College Partnerships: Collaborating with colleges and universities to provide additional resources and support services for LEAF Scholars.

Parent Education and Engagement

LEAF recognizes that parent education and engagement are crucial for student achievement, particularly for first-generation Spanish-speaking Latino parents and students. Latino parents need more than translated documents. They need to understand how schools work, what their children are learning, their rights and responsibilities within the school system, what extracurricular programs are available, and why they are essential to reach out to those programs. At LEAF, they coach first-generation Spanish-speaking Latino parents and students, empowering parents to create a home atmosphere that solidifies their children’s academic and career paths. LEAF focuses on providing Spanish-speaking Latino parents with information, knowledge, and skills to navigate their local educational systems.

Impact and Outcomes

Since its inception, LEAF has supported over 600 LEAF Scholars and their families throughout their college journeys. In 2023 alone, LEAF served more than 300 Scholars and over 60 Mentors, along with more than 200 families. A remarkable 81% of LEAF students persist in college, a significant achievement considering that fewer than 20% of low-income Latinx students nationally persist in earning a college degree within six years. LEAF's success is attributed to its comprehensive support system, which addresses the academic, financial, and social-emotional needs of its students.

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Career Mentorship Program

LEAF is launching its Career Mentor recruitment and inviting professionals to walk alongside first-generation college students as they navigate career paths, build confidence, and discover what’s possible. By sharing your experience and perspective, you can help students gain clarity, expand their networks, and feel more confident about their future. As a Career Mentor, you’ll meet monthly with 1-2 first-generation college students to help them explore career paths, build confidence, and plan what’s next. With flexible scheduling and just 1-2 hours a month, your guidance can make a lasting difference. Mentorship isn’t about having all the answers-it’s about showing up. Supporting First-Gen students goes beyond coursework. It is about creating spaces where students feel seen, understood, and valued. Your lived experience is powerful. Your voice carries insight. Your journey reflects possibility. Mentorship changes futures.

Planting the Seed Luncheon

LEAF's cornerstone public event of the year is the annual Planting the Seed Luncheon - a moment to pause, gather, and celebrate the incredible students and families who are at the heart of everything they do at LEAF. From East San José and beyond, this community shows up every single day with resilience, dedication, and a commitment to building brighter futures. Together, we're planting seeds that will grow for generations.

Financial Information and Transparency

The Latino Education Advancement Fund (LEAF) is a Maryland nonprofit corporation operating through a fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178), a Maryland not-for-profit charitable trust with federal tax-exempt status from the IRS as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3). LEAF is committed to financial transparency and accountability. As a nonprofit organization, LEAF is required to file Form 990 with the IRS, which provides information about its finances, programs, and governance. LEAF's Form 990 documents are available to the public through various online databases, including ProPublica and Guidestar.

Organizations must report loans, grants or business transactions with interested parties, which may include key employees and officers, their family members and any businesses in which they hold a controlling interest.

Founder and Leadership

The Latino Education Advancement Fund (LEAF) was established in 2016 by its founder president & CEO, Dinorah Olmos. Olmos has more than 35 years of professional experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. This experience includes working at international, national, state and local levels with education, and community leaders across the United States. She is also the recipient of the 2019 Open Society Institute Community Fellowship- Baltimore.

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Program to Watch

Examples of Excelencia recognized LEAF's College Success Program for its impactful efforts to improve Latino student achievement.

Priority Application Deadline

February 1 marks the priority deadline to apply. El 1 de febrero marca la fecha límite prioritaria para aplicar. Now is the time to apply. La fecha límite prioritaria está muy cerca.

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