Raza Unida Youth Conference is an annual all-day event where we invite Latinx high school students from Lane County and other parts of the state to come to the UO campus and participate in a conference with keynote speakers, workshops, and a campus tour.
One of our primary goals with RUYC is to empower youth and give them the necessary tools to access higher education while also giving them an introduction to important issues that are constantly affecting Latinx and other marginalized communities. It empowers the attendees by giving them information about the college process, including crucially important financial aid, scholarships, and applications, which some would not find readily available or in their own language.
We invite community members, alumni, university students and faculty to present workshops during the RUYC stand for the RUYC motto of empowering people through knowledge. Many Workshop presenters discuss topics such as culture, indigenous roots, identity, education, gender, sexuality, and immigration.
The conference allows youth to see what others are going through similar situations, and creates a fun atmosphere of learning, complete with a dance at the end.
If you have any questions email our coordinators at raza.unida.youth.conference@gmail.com
It’s very important to have conferences such as this one. The Latino community has such few role models where education is concerned. As the population increases, more and more people will need this information.
This is very important to all the latino students at the school I’m attending. We got to go last year and years before that, but now that we have a new principle he’s not giving us the opportunity to go. Everyone’s really upset and the principal says he doesn’t like this because its planned by other students. Is there something you guys can maybe help us with? We don’t know how to convince him.
Lizbeth,
I don’t know if it will help or not, but I am a teacher for Portland Public and I took a group of students to the conference last year and we are planning on taking students again this year. I would be happy to write him a letter, as a teacher it might make him more comfortable. I am sure our school counselor, who also attended last year, would be happy to do the same. Email me at jmurchis@pps.net
Hello Lizeth,
We understand the situation you are in is very frustrating. I’m not sure how we could help you, but if you want to, you can forward your principal’s contact information. You can email me at aavalos2@uoregon.edu
any organization grouped around a race, is racist…
Christian S,, unfortunately you choose to react from naive personal feelings rather than being informed about the facts of organized efforts to deal with populations assimilation efforts and to have an equal opportunity at reaching personal and professional goals. Your opinion of what a racist group behavior is wrong,,,, because a group of any kind gathers does not make it an racist act, its a racist act whenindividual or groups organize to take away opportunities from others. When the fore fathers of this great country gathered to formulate a plan (Constitution) to move us all forward,
Perhaps if you joined an effort to better meet the needs of your communities and deal with its issues you wouldn’t react so personal threaten.