Juntos means together: Latino college readiness program earns national award

Jordan’s note: This was originally published in May 2017.

The Latino community has a powerful tool in Tillamook – one that was recently recognized with a national award.

Juntos: Together for a Better Education (Spanish lesson: Juntos means “together” in English) is a college readiness program through OSU Open Campus to support students and parents with success in the classroom to graduate high school and enroll in a college or university.

In April, the National School Boards Association named Tillamook’s Juntos Program a 2017 Magna Award First Place Winner at their annual conference in Denver, Colo.

“When we shared about getting the award, I remember one of the families said, ‘You deserve this and more. You have helped us so much in this process,’” Maydra Valencia, OSU Open Campus and Juntos Coastal Coordinator, said. “This award is not for us, it’s for our families and the partnerships that help students… But it’s an honor and very humbling.”

According to a press release from Tillamook School District (TSD), the Magna Awards recognize school districts and their leaders for taking bold and innovative steps to improve the lives of students and their communities.

“I’d like to say we’re advocating for our Latino community to overcome the language barrier,” Valencia said.

Doris Flores, Latino Liaison for Tillamook School District and Juntos facilitator added students have historically had a high barrier to success due to difficulties at home translating.

“One of our family’s said we have totally helped students understand what they needed for their four years of high school,” she said, “With the language barrier, students work so hard during school to go home and tell the family – but pieces get left out in translating.”

However, Valencia and Flores are changing that.

According to TSD’s press release, Juntos has seen fantastic success – with 100 percent of participating students graduating from high school and more than 85 percent of the students successfully going on to college.

TSD also credits Juntos as a key factor in having the highest graduation rate for Hispanic students in the state in 2015.

“Many Latinos preferred to enter the workforce instead of furthering their education,” Flores said.

Following spring break, every Monday for six weeks, students and their families meet at the high school from 6 – 8 p.m. (following a meal prepared by Flores and paid for by TSD) and discuss various facets of college: how to finance it (including scholarships), the college application process and communication between families and the school district.

“Most Latinos think college is so expensive they could never afford it,” Flores said.

The duo is working to dispel myths like this about furthering students’ education.

“TBCC has been an amazing ally,” Valencia said, “Any time they have scholarships available, they have reached out and even given students full-ride scholarships.”

The duo stressed the importance of local partnerships.

“The partnership with OSU extension office, the school district and college has been very important. Without these partnerships, we would not be three years in.”

During those three years, Juntos has helped more than 100 people – including students and their parents – and, according to Valencia, have assisted an even greater number through various workshops. She added the youngest participant so far has been a student in sixth grade and their oldest has been a freshman in college.

“They’re learning how to communicate and how to graduate high school and how to successfully go on to higher education,” she said.

Flores said the 2017 group is smaller than before, but many Latino students in the school have siblings who have gone through Juntos already – but some families keep coming back for more.

“We have a mom that comes who says every time they come to Juntos program they learn something new,” Flores said.

Learning about furthering their children’s education has had an interesting effect on some of the parents involved.

“This has empowered our parents [in Juntos] to further their education,” Flores said. “We have parents in the GED program because they wanted to help their kids.”

More than 20 parents in Juntos have enrolled in Spanish high school GED courses designed to help them achieve their high school diploma equivalent, according to TSD.

“It’s been totally unexpected,” Valencia added.

TSD estimates about a quarter of the students in the school district are Latino.

“The Latino community is more involved then they have ever been before,” Valencia said, “We need to make sure no one is discriminated against and everyone has equal opportunities.”

Every week Juntos meets – appropriately – in the Kevin Barnes Visual Arts Center at Tillamook High School (THS).

“Kevin Barnes and Emily Henry with OSU Open Campus started the Juntos program,” Valencia said.

Barnes, the former THS principal who died in 2014 following a battle with cancer, was a neighbor to the Valencias.

“He knew how difficult it was for me to go to college and the struggle Latinos faced going to college,” Valencia said. “My mom cried because she wanted to help but didn’t know how.”

While Valencia was in college, she spoke with a local panel, including Barnes, about the difficulties and barriers she faced going to college. The Juntos program was adopted soon after, the second in the state following Madras.

“Kevin knew this community,” Valencia said. “This award is because of Kevin Barnes. He isn’t here anymore and he is still doing amazing things.”