UnidosNow: These Kids Are Going Places

What we have now is beyond the walls of a not-for-profit organization. It's a movement that encourages everyone to work hard to dream big. And to be kind at all times. ~ Luz Corcuera, Executive Director, UnidosNow

Dreaming Big with UnidosNow

(Excerpts from the inspiring story featured in Sarasota Scene Magazine)

The little Latina girl in Sarasota has a sparkle in her eyes and a spring in her step. Her parents have been preparing her to take care of herself, find a husband, and build a family—and now she has additional exciting possibilities ahead thanks to UnidosNow.

Through the Future Leaders Academy of Girls (FLAG) program at UnidosNow, this little girl and her elementary school classmates have been learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career opportunities. Exposed to robotics and coding, the girls recently formed a team and participated in the first robotics competition in Southwest Florida. Look out world—academic opportunities abound!

With help from the UnidosNow Future Leaders Academy—a comprehensive college prep and career readiness program that primarily serves low-income, first-generation Hispanic/Latino students—local youth are gaining admission to technical/vocational schools, two-year community colleges, and four-year universities. Some are even winning scholarships to competitive universities such as Duke and Harvard.

Building the Future

Immigrants often struggle to achieve the American Dream, and UnidosNow is working to make their path easier. The organization’s name is a blend of Spanish and English, meaning “United Now”—denoting a fusion of cultures, community building, and changing the landscape. The 10-year-old, not-for-profit organization has opened doors through education, integration, and civic engagement in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Read the complete story in this month’s issue of Sarasota Scene Magazine.

Save the Date

UnidosNow plans to celebrate its 10-year anniversary on Friday, May 20, 2022, by offering daytime concerts for school children and an evening event for adults at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Expect a novel and must-see concert that fuses styles, music, and culture. Event details will be posted on unidosnow.org.

For more information about UnidosNow, please visit unidosnow.org or call 941.256.0625.