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Latino/a/x & Indigenous Student Success

The Latino/a/x and Indigenous* community in Oregon is diverse and complex. This community is multiracial, multilingual, and comprised of dozens of countries of origin each with its own unique culture and history. Language and terms used to describe this community like Latino, Latina, or Latinx invisibilize our indigenous and African/Black ancestry and at the same time are evolving to be inclusive of non-binary gender individuals.

In Oregon, Latino/a/x and Indigenous* make up nearly one in four students and are the largest nonwhite population in the state, and this number only continues to grow. Latino/a/x and Indigenous* students are already a majority population (over 50%) in ten school districts across the state. This plan is critical in building understanding of this population and addressing strategies for educational success.

The Latino/a/x and Indigenous* Student Success Plan seeks to address historic and current systemic inequities experienced by Latino/a/x and Indigenous* students through focused investments and partnerships with community based organizations, school districts, early learning providers, and higher education. The plan centers equity and community by ensuring those closest to the problem help develop and design the solutions. Through this effort, we will work to close the opportunity gap and eliminate educational disparities to ensure all our students can thrive.

We must ensure the strategies we develop and implement will lead to better outcomes. Oregon must act now. The Student Success Act and the Latino/a/x and Indigenous* Student Success Plan are a roadmap to get there.

*(Indigenous Mexican, Central, South American, and Caribbean)

Announcements

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Upcoming Advisory Group Meetings

The Oregon Department of Education and the Latino/a/x & Indigenous* Student Success Advisory Group are held the third Tuesday of every month from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.



Contacts

For questions, contact Susan Mekarski, Education Specialist/Latino/a/x Student Plan Coordinator at susan.mekarski@ode.oregon.gov