A free, five-week certificate program begins this week at Montana State University (MSU) to expand educational literacy and opportunities for Latino residents.
The Latino Pathways Initiative for Higher Education (LPI) at MSU will offer La Academia Familia Latina, a Spanish-speaking series designed to connect the Gallatin Valley Latino community with more educational resources. Participants obtain a certificate in topics related to higher education, which include applying for college, networking, financial planning, career development, and more.
The program is a partnership with Gallatin College MSU and nonprofit organization Bienvenidos and is funded by MSU’s Outreach and Engagement Council. Sessions are held on the MSU and Gallatin College MSU campuses on Thursdays from 6:30PM-8:30PM beginning April 18 running through May 16. Those interested in attending should register here.
A division of MSU’s Center for Bilingual and Multicultural Education, LPI is led by Bridget Kevane, PhD, professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, and Rebecca Turk, PhD, director of MSU’s Center for Bilingual and Multicultural Education, with graduate student Isabela Romero Navarro from MSU’s Department of Counseling. Their mission is to empower Gallatin County Latino families by constructing accessible pathways to education.
The initiative strives for educational accessibility through various research efforts and community partnerships, including K-12 support for English Language Learners, professional development for educators, and weekly Noche Hispaña en Familia (Latino Family Nights). Adding La Academia Familia Latina to this list, LPI addresses a wide range of Montana’s bilingual and multicultural educational needs through teaching, research, and community impact.
