Salsa & Connect at the ELP Spring Social!

Mentors  Volunteers  Youth Advocates

Connect  Salsa  Laugh  Learn 

at our 2011 Spring Social!

$15 suggested donation

Dressy attire

Saturday May 7  7pm to 12am

The Camden Roosevelt

2101 16th Street NW

Washington DC

Salsa lessons  Appetizers  Drinks  Raffle

Directions

ADDRESS:
2101 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

The Camden Roosevelt is located on 16th Street between V and W Streets, NW, just south of Meridian Hill Park and near the U Street Corridor. At the front entrance, dial "000" and ask for the Edu-Futuro/ELP fundraiser. The party room is to the left after entering.

BY BUS:
S buses (S2 and S4) stop on 16th right in front of the building. The route runs from Federal Triangle/McPherson Square to/from Silver Spring.

BY METRO:
The building is about 4 blocks from the U Street (Yellow/Green) metro station, and about a 15 minute walk from Dupont Circle (New Hampshire Avenue).

BY CAR:
There is no free parking available at the building; cars parked in the building's driveway will be towed. There may, however, be free street parking in the area but given that it is a Saturday night, parking options may be limited. There is valet service in the building. If you would like to valet your car, please contact Eric Peter (ericpeterdc@gmail.com) by Friday, May 6 for more information.

Details

Edu-Futuro’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is a leadership development and college preparation program for Latino high school students in the Arlington - DC metro area. Students participate in activities to increase their leadership and communication skills, self-confidence, and prepare for college. ELP matches students with young Latino professional mentors who act as role models, providing valuable advice in areas such as study skills, goal setting, and career planning. Students also visit universities and participate in community service projects.

       

Established in 2006, ELP reaches more than 50 students each year and, since its inception, has awarded more than 50 scholarships to under-resourced, college bound students. We seek to raise funds to continue offering scholarships to promising ELP graduates and to expand ELP for more students. 

Empowered Father: Fernando Lopez

Fernando Lopez has been involved with Edu-Futuro (Educación Para Nuestro Futuro) for about four years now since 2007. When asked what inspires him to continue getting involved with our organization and continue volunteering, Fernando says that he wants his kids to get in touch with the Bolivian community here in the area because they were both born in the United States and it would be beneficial for them to be exposed to their culture. He believes that the Escuela Bolivia Program gives them the opportunity to do so. Fernando would also like to set an example and help his children realize that they too can give back to the community after seeing him do it. Fernando believes it is all about teaching through example, and we thank him for being such an example within our organization of how great a father's role can be if the initiative is taken. We asked Fernando some additional questions concerning his role as a father. 

Fernando Lopez with his wife and children receiving his Fatherhood Award at our Annual Gala Event.

• As a father, how do you balance work, volunteering, and time with your family?

My wife and I rely heavily on email because of work. So we just got used to the calendar tool that comes with our email. Everything we do is scheduled in our calendars, that's for all family activities during the week and some on the weekends. Volunteering happens after 8-9pm and only after the kids are sleeping. Family time is meal time, we try to spend dinner together every day with the exception of Thursdays because I have to be somewhere for a side project at 6:30PM. Friday night is movie night, we just get some popcorn, some chips and watch a movie new or old. My kids are growing up loving The Three Stooges, Thundercats and El Chavo del Ocho.

• Do you have any advice to other fathers on the importance of participating in their children’s
education?

Find the time, even if it is 20-30 minutes a day. Never push them to learn what they don't want to learn. If it is not fun for them they'll reject it and all your efforts will go to waste. Find creative ways to teach them the basics and also on how to connect things together, they'll figure out the rest. Kids like to discover things on their own, makes them feel independent and important, as such provide a path but don't provide all the answers. Internet is your friend, teach them to be inquisitive, if you don't know the answer then admit you don't know and find the answer along with them, whether by checking the Internet, reading a dictionary or going to a library.

Empowered Father: Augusto Wayar

“Of course one of the big lessons of becoming a father is that you no longer see yourself as the sole protagonist of your movie: you are now just one of the cast part of the ensemble” 

-National Fatherhood Initiative Handbook, (p.114)

Sr. Augusto Wayar con sus hijas y Sra. Sonia Wayar

Augusto has been involved with our organization ever since its founding and we are proud to share his experience as a father. Here is our interview with him. Thanks Augusto for sharing your inspirational story! 

El Sr. Augusto Wayar ha estado involucrado con nuestra organization desde su fundación como Escuela Bolivia. Queremos agradecerle a Augusto Wayar por compartir su experience como padre. Su historia es realmente inspiradora. 

Our executive Director, Mrs. Eneida Alcalde, has told us that you are a very involved father and that you and your family are all very involved with our work and the children that we help. What inspires you to continue helping the community in such a dedicated manner?

The vocation that I have as en educator has allowed me to involve myself with Escuela Bolivia since its founding. When the organization was started I was invited to become part of this wonderful organization, as well as involving my wife and two daughters who have been volunteering as well for 3 or 4 years. 

Afterwards, I started working as a math teacher and since then have been working as Principal. In the beginning it was founded to welcome Bolivian students and their families with the idea of teaching them Spanish to remember their culture. We all support this philosophy and are supported by people like Dr. Smith, our ex-Ambassador and School Board Member Dr. Emma Violand-Sánchez and Principal Cintia Johnson. We have all shaped Edu-Futuro into an organization that welcomes all children. It is important for them to integrate themselves and learn of the opportunities that exist in our world. Being bilingual offers many opportunities in this country, and it is not only Latin American students that are taking advantage of the opportunities bilingualism provides for their futures. This is what motivates me to keep involving myself with the Escuela Bolivia Program. 

Being a working father how do you manage to balance your home and family with work schedules?

I have to admit that I am privileged as a father because when there is a vocation to aid the community then it becomes much easier to balance the two. After I am done with my work hours I dedicate the rest of my time to my family. This works well because my wife and daughters have also adapted this lifestyle.

Do you have anything to say to other fathers about the importance of involving yourself in your children's education? 


Naturally I would like to let other fathers know, speaking as both a father and member of our organization, that they should involve themselves with the initiatives that we support in order to learn more about the Latin American culture. What they will learn through the programs can then be shared with their children, who will one day be our leaders, in hopefully giving them better living situations.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I would just like to emphasize that for anyone willing to participate in and support the education of their children--our doors are open for all of them to get involved, our sentiments are also open for their involvement.

***********

Nuestro Directora Ejecutiva, la Sra. Eneida Alcalde, ha compartido que usted es un padre muy involucrado y que de hecho, usted y su familia están muy dedicados a nuestro trabajo y a los hijos que ayudamos. ¿Que lo inspira a seguir ayudando a la comunidad en esta manera extraordinaria?

La vocación que tengo como educador me ha permitido interesarme desde sus inicios en Escuela Bolivia. Cuando se estableció escuela Bolivia fui invitado para ser parte de esta bonita organización, lo mismo de toda mi familia mi esposa y mis dos hijas. Hemos estado como voluntarios por 3 o 4 años.

Después me he desempeñado como profesor de matemáticas y desde entonces he trabajado como subdirector de Escuela Bolivia. Al principio la escuela se creo para coger estudiantes Bolivianos y de padres Bolivianos, como el afán de querer enseñarles el Español para hacerlos recordar el Español. Todos pensamos en ese filosofía gracias a la ayuda no solo personal sino de mucha gente como el Dr. Smith, nuestro ex embajador Marcelo Pérez Monasterio y la Dra. Emma Violand-Sanchez, naturalmente aparte de otras personas como Cintia Johnson. Juntos hemos formado Edu-Futuro para esforzarnos a ayudar a todos los niños ya no solo Bolivianos sino de cualquier nacionalidad para que se integren a nuestro escuela y puedan conseguir o obtener una llave para su futuro. Entiendo que el ser bilingüe en este país naturalmente agrega una mayoría de oportunidades de triunfo a nuestros niños, ya no solo latinos sino norteamericanos que se están formando en el programa Escuela Bolivia. Este es la motivación que sigamos integrados al programa de Escuela Bolivia.

Siendo un padre de hogar, como mantienes el equilibrio entre el trabajo y el tiempo con tu familia?

Tengo que decir que soy un padre privilegiado por que es fácil cuando hay vocación de servicio a la comunidad que consiste de horas que puedan permitir dedicarnos a nuestros dos campos, es decir a mi familia y a la educación. Una ves que concluyo mis actividades de trabajo lo que hago es compartir mi tiempo con mi familia; funciona bien por que mis hijas y mi esposa también se han acomodado a este estilo de vida.

Tienes algún consejo para otros padres sobre la importancia de participar en la educación de sus hijos?

Naturalmente que si no solo como padre pero como docente y como director de Escuela Bolivia quiero invocar que los padres de familia que recurran a nuestra organización, la conocida como refugio cultural, para que aprendan las raíces de la cultura de los países que hablan español. Y así descubrir un mundo de maravillosas realidades y que con seguridad servirán para nuestros niños de hoy día, ciudadanos de mañana, mejores oportunidades de vida económica y vida social.

¿Algo más que quisiera compartir con nosotros?

Quiero invitar a todos quienes queren poner un granito de arena para la educación de nuestros niños, y decirles que como las puertas están abiertas para todos ellos, nuestros sentimientos también están abiertos.