About ENLACE
ENLACE in Spanish, stands for ENgaging Latina/o Communities for Education. ENLACE began in 2000 with an initial $1.5 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as part of the national ENLACE Initiative. The grants were awarded to increase opportunities for Latina/os to enter and complete college. The Northeastern Illinois University grant for ENLACE was one of thirteen sites selected across the United States and was the only one funded in the Midwest. Additional financial and in-kind support has supported the program's continued success along with the ongoing commitment of Northeastern Illinois University. The program was recognized in 2016 as a finalist for the national Examples of Excelencia award, which recognizes evidence-based practices that increase Latina/o student success in higher education.
ENLACE's Mission
The mission of the ENLACE Higher Education Master’s Program is to invest in the preparation of leadership in higher education that will create change responsive to the educational needs of Latina/o students and an increasingly diverse college student population. The program aims to support promising students to work as culturally competent and critical staff and administrators at institutions of higher education immediately after they graduate, aiding first-generation college students, economically challenged students, immigrants, and students from underrepresented groups. The program emphasizes on the Latina/o experience and provides knowledge & skills related to the history and development of colleges, universities, and community colleges, and to effective administrative practices at that level. It stresses an understanding of administrative and supervisory skills for the development and support of instructional systems at the collegiate level. The program also prepares highly qualified students for further graduate study and research in doctoral programs so they may pursue a path to tenured faculty and senior administrator positions at colleges and universities across the nation.
ENLACE Scholarship
The program also offers the ENLACE scholarship on a limited basis to students with a demonstrated commitment to careers working at Hispanic Serving Institutions, with Latina/o communities, first-generation college students, immigrant students, and/or other members of under-represented groups. Candidates are selected by their personal statement submission and its relevancy to the program’s mission. Contact the program facilitator for more information.
The deadline for the ENLACE scholarship is May 1st, 2019. Recipients will be informed in mid-May and the amount of scholarship funding will be available until early September.
Financial Support
All students must fill out a FAFSA form in order to be eligible for loans, merit scholarships, and graduate assistantships which are often available to help you fund your graduate education.
Please contact the director for more information.
