NC Scholars’ Latino Initiative, Carrboro to Encourage Dreams of Education through Broadband Network
April 10, 2017
Center for Global Initiatives
First- and second-generation immigrant students will have the opportunity to pursue their higher education dreams with help from the North Carolina Scholars Latino Initiative (NC Sli) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Working in collaboration with the Town of Carrboro, NC Sli will expand its eAdvising program, which is designed to help immigrant students and their families overcome the barriers they face regarding college. To commemorate this partnership, a public event will be held on April 13, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in the Nelson Mandela Auditorium at the FedEx Global Education Center.
“Thanks to the gigabit internet circuit which AT&T is providing at Carrboro’s Century Center, we will be able to connect students with trained peer advisors at UNC,” said Ricky Hurtado, NC Sli executive director. “This solution expands the reach of the university’s resources, erasing issues of distance or travel and expanding access to our programming.”
NC Sli is a project of the Center for Global Initiatives at UNC. It seeks to create pathways to educational, professional and civic engagement opportunities for the next generation of Latino leaders in North Carolina. Development of the eAdvising program was a result of the partnership between North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN) and AT&T to demonstrate the capabilities of high-speed networks.
“The issue of whether to continue with education beyond high school is particularly daunting for immigrant students, especially those who may be the first in their family to consider post-secondary education. For many reasons, these students may not have the support necessary to make an informed decision or understand how immigration policy might affect college access,” said Carrboro mayor Lydia Lavelle. “The desire to open opportunities for everyone, particularly through education, is one of the central reasons our community supports the North Carolina Next Generation Network project. We are excited to partner with NC Sli to make a difference in the lives of these students and their families.”
The community center will provide a local access point to allow students and their families to receive bicultural and bilingual instruction and college advising. It is one of the locations where AT&T has installed a gigabit Internet connection through the NCNGN agreement.
“AT&T has a long history of supporting education and innovative ideas for using technology to help students achieve and learn,” said Robert Doreauk, AT&T regional director of external affairs. “Broadband technology has tremendous potential for changing lives by connecting people with information and resources. We are pleased that the circuit we installed at the community center will be a doorway to a better future for so many young people.”
For more information, contact Ricky Hurtado, executive director of NC Sli, at rhurtado@unc.edu or 919.962.6313.