Deborah Hasson goes to Washington

Greetings from our nation’s capital!

On Monday, I had the privilege of participating as a panelist in one of two Education Summits convened at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute‘s 2008 Public Policy Conference in Washington, DC. Chaired by the Honorable Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15), our session on parent involvement echoed the conference theme of “The Power to Make the Difference.” I spoke about NCFL’s focus on leveraging the power of the family to combat illiteracy and poverty, as well some of our initiatives that serve Hispanic/Latino and other immigrant families.

In addition to meeting some of the 2008 CHCI Public Policy Fellows, conference participants also had an opportunity to meet high school students from across the country participating in CHCI’s Ready to Lead Program (R2L). This initiative gives Hispanic/Latino youth an opportunity to attend workshops and seminars to prepare them for college and develop their leadership skills.

It was an honor to represent NCFL at this meeting and gratifying to see the importance given to our work by other education professionals and our elected officials.

— Dr. Deborah Hasson