cENTRO DE COMUNIDAD Y JUSTICIA
Center for community and justice
social justice
The primary goal of our social justice efforts is to defend the civil and human rights of Latino families in Idaho, and to work against discrimination and unjust treatment of the families we serve.
The goals of our efforts are:
- To defend the civil and human rights of Latino families in Idaho.
- To work against discrimination and unjust treatment.
- To defend the rights of immigrants and refugees.
- To work towards economic justice and fairness in employment.
immigrant rights
Centro works in collaboration with other human rights and community-based non-profit organizations to provide access to information and resources for the large Spanish-speaking immigrant community in Idaho. Our goal is to provide outreach and information to immigrants and refugees, and to promote just immigration practices at the state, local, and federal level.
An example of one of our initiatives isProyecto Vecinos. In the spring and summer of 2004, Centro began Proyecto Vecinos, an immigrant rights' project in collaboration with the Idaho Human Rights Education Center in Boise and the University of Idaho Law School in order to respond to the need for community-based information and resources for immigrants in Idaho.
The goals of Proyecto Vecinos are:
- To publish newcomer orientation guides, and other types of community resource information for immigrants and refugees.
- To provide family based immigration counseling services to low income individuals.
- To defend the human rights of all immigrants and refugees.
- To work for and to promote just immigration and refugee policies and practices.
community-based health education & research
The overall goal of Centro's Community-based Health and Education Research project is to address the inequities in health care that are experienced by Latinos in Idaho.
The goals of this initiative are:
- To promote, prepare, and disseminate health research and briefing papers regarding Latino health issues.
- To address health care disparities within the Latino community.
- To advocate for equitable access to health care for Latino families in Idaho.
- To promote cross-cultural proficiency in health care.
educational equity
Centro has for several years been active in promoting policy efforts to address the academic and English language acquisition needs of Latinos, and other students that have traditionally struggled to achieve academic success in Idaho's public schools.
Since the mid-1970s, our staff and board members have played a part in almost every educational policy decision affecting Latino and English Language Learner students (ELL) in the state.
Our accomplishments include efforts to disaggregate student data by ethnicity, legislative approval, and funding for the Idaho Minority At-Risk Scholarship. Funding for the State Limited English Proficient (LEP) Supplemental Appropriation for programs for ELL students in Idaho, and for the "Grow Our Own Teachers Program," a program that offers scholarships for individuals interested in English as a Second Language or Billingual Education degree.
In addition, our members have been involved in almost every major study and task force appointed to address the needs of these students, and responsible for promoting stricter legislative oversight and accountability of state and federal programs that fund local services for ELL students.
The goals of our Educational Initiative are:
- To reduce the disproportionate dropout/push out rate that persists in the Latino community.
- To improve the academic achievement and success of Latino students.
- To increase the number of Latino students who enter colleges, universities, and other post-secondary opportunities.
- To increase multicultural and multilingual educational opportunities in Idaho for all students.
HOW we can help you
In an effort to address the most significant issues facing Idaho's Latino communities,
the Center for Community and Justice has identified education, immigrant rights, and health and education research as key areas. The following goals have been developed for each of these focus areas based on input from the Latinos families we serve.