TU FUTURO

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the educational attainment of Latinos in Marion County, Indiana lags national averages. Only 43% of the Marion County Latino population has graduated from high school, compared with 72% of Latinos nationally, and just 11% of the Marion County Latino population holds a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 20% of Latinos nationally. Locally, Latinos’ educational attainment is lower than other racial/ethnic populations. In comparison, 79% of the white population in Marion County has graduated from high school and 34% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (American Community Survey, 2021).

Tu Futuro is a program for Latino students in high school that teaches important academic, social, college and career readiness skills that encourage students to graduate from high school and pursue a postsecondary education. La Plaza staff meet weekly at participants’ high schools, providing bilingual workshops with topics such as study habits, organizational skills, leadership, advocacy, career exploration, and financial aid. Tu Futuro is provided at no cost to participating students and their families. 

The goal of Tu Futuro is to establish relationships with students in ninth grade and stay with each student along their educational journey. In addition, Tu Futuro engages parents through the academic process so that they can better support their children. The program also informs and supports schools to build their capacity to better serve Latino students.