The UNCW Mentors Initiating Community Action, Support and Advocacy (MI CASA) program will receive $87,000 in support from the New Hanover Community Endowment, the university announced.
The NHCE funding will help the long-standing and successful program provide high school students opportunities to tour Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) throughout the state. It will also provide laptops to program mentees to close technology gaps, fund participation in the Young Writers Camp and organize a Transition Orientation Day.
"This grant will allow MI CASA Mentoring to offer experiences to our scholars that are not accessible to them and academic enrichment activities that will help us close the achievement and educational gaps, leading to improved and healthier lifestyles,” said Angel Garcia, MI CASA director and UNCW Centro Hispano assistant director.
MI CASA, founded and directed by UNCW’s Centro Hispano, is a comprehensive support program that provides mentoring, college preparation seminars, tutoring, community service and cultural enrichment activities to help high school mentees become compelling candidates for college admission and scholarship awards.
The program received a $66,500 grant during the 2022-23 New Hanover Community Endowment funding cycle, which allowed MI CASA to elevate the quality of services and experiences for high school students.
“Too often, access to higher education and the opportunities that follow depend on students' and families' knowledge of the college admission process,” said Donyell Roseboro, UNCW’s chief diversity officer. “This grant allows us to mentor students and connect with families to fully explain the college admissions process, to teach about scholarships and financial aid, and to map a path to graduation. In doing so, we can actualize the college dreams of students and families who may never have believed it was possible.”
UNCW’s new 10-year strategic plan, Soar High, Soar Far, Soar Together, prioritizes four strategic pillars—unparalleled opportunities, nationally prominent programs, community commitment and world-class operations and infrastructure. MI CASA’s goals align with these university priorities.
NHCE announced on Dec. 18 that it will deploy almost $55 million in philanthropic support in New Hanover County over the next three years, including a separate grant to support a healthcare workforce collaboration involving Cape Fear Community College, New Hanover County Schools, the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and the university.
"Empowering Latinx youth to explore higher education opens doors of opportunity, encourages their ambition and amplifies their potential to soar,” said Chancellor Aswani K. Volety. “UNCW deeply appreciates the NHCE's support of MI CASA, a successful program that has been active in our community for years."
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