NWA Hispanic Leadership Council

Our first annual Latinx on the Rise Mentorship Program Civic Engagement Trip, held in April 2023, was an impactful success! We were able to take our amazing group to Little Rock to visit our Arkansas State Capitol, the Clinton School of Public Service, the Central High Museum, the Clinton Library, and provide a full civic engagement immersion for our program participants. As part of the event, the group met with Arkansas Representative Collins to learn more about the legislative process. Mireya Reith and the team from Arkansas United showed us how to get involved in matters that are important for our community.  They inspired our students through the meaningful work that they do. We appreciate Representative Collins and Arkansas United's time greatly and are excited to continue impacting our communities together! Later in the summer, our students completed their internship experience. This annual program provides students with a paid internship at a community organization. The Int

The NWA Hispanic Leadership Council (NWA HLC) and its Giving Circle celebrated local community programs and awarded grants to support their mission.  Once again, the Giving Circle increased the amount given versus last year, for a grand total of $10,000.  The recipients of the awards were Down Syndrome Connection of Northwest Arkansas; The Jones Center for Families and Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas.  Additionally, two schools in the Rogers School District were granted awards for their programs: Rogers High School and Elmwood Middle School. A small reception was held at Exchange Bentonville to recognize the work local organizations do in improving the life of Hispanics in the region as well as to recognize the power of individual philanthropy.  The event counted with the participation of representatives from nonprofits, as well as leaders in education and community advocacy.     A $2,500 grant was given to Down Syndrome Connection of Northwest Arkansas.   “There are many Spa

BENTONVILLE, Ark., (November 8, 2022) – The NWA Hispanic Leadership Council (NWA HLC) launched the Latinx on the Rise Mentoring Program for the 2022-23 academic year. The event, hosted at Exchange Bentonville, focused on introducing the new cohort of mentors and mentees and sharing best practices in mentoring relationships.  The event counted with the participation of current and previous mentors and mentees, representation from the University of Arkansas (U of A) and the Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC), as well as leaders in education and community advocacy. The mentoring program and the related pre-graduation internships are sponsored by a three-year grant awarded by the Walton Family Foundation in 2021, and by the contribution of Synchrony Financial.   According to the Northwest Arkansas Council Diversity report the Hispanic/Latino population saw the largest gains in population, accounting for over 17% of the population in 2021 and forecasted to grow to 19% by 2026.  As

The NWA Hispanic Leadership Council and its Giving Circle calls local non profit community organizations to apply for the 2022 Grants, to be awarded in December 2022.  We are excited to announce once again we will be increasing the gifts we will give for a grand total of $10,000.   The recipients of the awards will be selected by the voting Giving Circle, who contributed to the NWA Hispanic Leadership Council during the year.  To be considered for the awards, non-profit organizations must complete the  application  found on  nwahispanic.org  by November 15, 2022.  The top candidates may be interviewed by the Giving Circle and awards will be announced in December, 2022.   Last year, the NWA Hispanic Leadership Council and its Giving Circle awarded  gifts to the Rogers High School for the Newcomer Welcome Program; OneCommunity for the Parents Take Leadership Action (PTLA) Kids Program; and to the Hispanic’s Women Organization of Arkansas (HWOA) for the Scholarship Program.  Those gifts w

BENTONVILLE, Ark., (December 8, 2021) – The NWA Hispanic Leadership Council (NWA HLC) and its Giving Circle awarded grants to local nonprofits and celebrated their contributions to the community. The event served to recognize the work local organizations do in improving the life of Hispanics in the region as well as to recognize the power of individual philanthropy. The awards were giving to Rogers High School for the Newcomer Welcome Program; OneCommunity for the Parents Take Leadership Action (PTLA) Kids Program; and to the Hispanic’s Women Organization of Arkansas (HWOA) for the Scholarship Program. The event counted with the participation of representatives from nonprofits, as well as leaders in education and community advocacy. A giving circle is a group of people who pool their resources in order to collectively contribute to issues they deem important to their community. Giving circles provide individual donors the opportunity to make their contributions meaningful by leverag

BENTONVILLE, Ark. , (October 12, 2021) – The NWA Hispanic Leadership Council (NWA HLC) launched the Latinx on the Rise Mentoring Program for the 2021-22 academic year. The event, hostedby the University of Arkansas Latino Alumni Society, focused on introducing the new cohort of mentors and mentees and the expansion of the mentoring program to enable leadership and professional enrichment opportunities for the students. The event counted with the participation of current and previous mentors and mentees, representation from the University of Arkansas (U of A) and the Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC), as well as leaders in education and community advocacy. The new opportunities available to the program participants and a new line of pre-graduation internships will be possible thanks to a three-year grant awarded by the Walton Family Foundation. Developing the next generation of community leaders will be the catalyst to have an equitable and robust Northwest Arkansas region.