Latino American Mentorship Program at the Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color

The Latino American Mentorship Program (LAMP) participated in the Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color. The conference was held at The University of Texas at Austin (within the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement), and it is led by Dr. Victor Sáenz, the Consortium Executive Director and Associate Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, and Dr. Luis Ponjuán, Associate Professor at Texas A&M University.

The Texas A&M University-Commerce LAMP Coordinator and Assistant Dean of Hispanic Outreach, Dr. Fred Fuentes, sponsored 10 students and mentors to attend the conference. With several hundred participants from around the United States, the conference aimed to develop guidance and support independent school districts, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities to implement strategies that advance enrollment, retention, and graduation rates of Latino and African American male students at equitable rates as their peers. The weeklong conference was structured to maximize institutional capacity, as well as the implementation and sustainability of effective policies, programs, and practices focused on increasing individual success and post-secondary completion for male students of color.

The LAMP men’s impact at the conference resulted in an invitation for Dr. Fuentes to present at the North Texas Student Leadership Summit. His presentation will focus on effective male mentorship programs that positively affect the retention of men of color in undergraduate programs.