theculturalconnect.com | Mirna Garcia

Non-Profit

Instituto Del Progreso Latino

Founded

1975

Website

www.idpl.org

Name

Mirna Garcia, Associate Director

About the Non-profit

Instituto’s mission is to “contribute to the fullest development of Latino immigrants and their families trough education, employment and training that fosters full participation in the changing United States society while maintaining cultural identity and dignity.”

Over the past 28 years Instituto’s character of achievement has been defined by maintaining a core quality of integrity that allows constant innovation in delivering programs. Instituto is strategically located in the Latino community. It has five locations in Pilsen, Little Village, and Back of the Yards. Our success centers on our strong partnerships with community- and faith-based organizations, colleges and universities, and public agencies. Instituto has an extensive alumni base of over 30,000 individuals whom we are working to re-engage in a new Alumni Membership drive. Our history of developing successful best practice models has made us experts in the field of workforce development, adult education, citizenship, and youth development. Our standards of performance have cemented our reputation in our communities.

Instituto enrolls and engages over 8,500 participants each year, without using any formal marketing mechanisms. Participants live throughout metropolitan Chicago and a vast majority is characterized as hard working immigrants who are highly motivated parents with a strong desire to learn and improve their English fluency, increase work skills, and become U.S. citizens in order to improve their family’s quality of life. Participants make direct economic gains as they complete our programs, experience powerful self-empowerment, and because they understand the power of their voice and vote, they become strong self-advocates who mobilize others on relevant policy issues. We also offer other core support including free income tax filing assistance. Last year over 1,400 families received nearly $3 million in returns. Finally, Instituto leads important policy dialogue through its role on the New Americans Task Force, Manufacturing Renaissance Council, and Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs.

Most notable milestones

Paulo Freire visited Instituto in 1981 – the organization’s theoretical assumptions are based on mutual learning that values life experiences as a powerful teaching tool. Instituto’s workforce development and youth education programs have been featured in national publications and through national conferences because they achieve real gains for families working toward self-sufficiency. Instituto also administers the largest citizenship program in Illinois.

What's the niche?

Instituto is widely recognized as a leading Latino community organization working with Latino immigrants and their families to provide career path development and education programs that directly strengthen families’ self-sufficiency and fuel Chicago’s economy.

What's in store for the future?

Instituto is uniquely positioned for achieving projected strategic growth. The key driving force is the demand from our community because they value our competence in efficiently delivering high quality services. The vision of Instituto is to reach every Latino family in the metropolitan area – we are achieving this vision through our advocacy on fair immigration reform, programs, and work developing leadership in our community.

Who would you like to be contacted by?

Institutions and individuals who are genuinely interested in becoming involved with a Latino-run, Latino-serving community organization whose core strength is remaining accountable to the multiple stakeholders including participants who enroll in its programs, resource providers, elected officials, and faith- and community-based partners.

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Guiding principle of the organization

Education is Power! It is the power and freedom to enjoy the best of what this country has to offer. It is the power to provide for our families and ensure a better quality of life. Help us fuel the power!

We believe that an injury to one person is an injury to all our community.

Yardstick of success

We measure success by the tangible improvement in families’ lives.

Goal yet to be achieved

Based on our mission, and working with multiple strategic partners, we work towards achieving social equity for our community – that all Latino families become financially stable and become self-empowered and civically active in order to improve the overall quality of life in our neighborhoods.

Best practical advice

An individual’s strength promotes community development.
True strength comes from knowing who you are.
Learning is a life-long experience.
Education is power.
There is inherent value in every individual.
Everyone should have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Strength in unity – there is power in the collective voice.

Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture

“At RLLA [Rudy Lozano Leadership Academy]. I am not only a number. I am viewed as a smart young woman who is willing to fight to be heard to make a difference in my community. Finally school is cool for me. I got my second chance. Just because we are a second chance high school, we should not be labeled as “left over kids” because these beautiful faces before you can and will make a difference.” Carmen Liera, student in Instituto’s Rudy Lozano Leadership Academy

Mentor

Juan Salgado

What motivated the people who started the organization?

At the tail end of the civil rights movement, a few ordinary people became community activist when they joined in an extraordinary cause to increase opportunity for family-sustaining jobs. These pioneers, who became Instituto’s founders, instilled their legacy of unity and justice in Instituto’s core mission.

What keeps your organization motivated today?

The spirit, skills and energy of our participants, our community, our highly committed staff and volunteers maintains a palpable motivation for Instituto as it continues to grow.

What do people in the organization like best about it?

Participants and students love Instituto because of the atmosphere of compañerismo created by highly talented and skilled bilingual staff.

What do people in the organization like least about it?

Limited funds force Instituto to maintain waiting lists in virtually all of its programs. This clearly shows the high demand and motivation of youth and adults who want to improve their lives.

Biggest pastime outside of work for most people in your organization

Many people are involved in civic and cultural activities, in their parishes and, of course, in sports like soccer, baseball and tennis are preferred sports. Still many others.

Person most interested in meeting that would be beneficial for your organization and why

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should visit Instituto to see resilience, hope, and perseverance in action. Parents, young people and elders are living the reality that this is what makes America strong!

Leader in business most interested in meeting that would be beneficial and why

If they came to learn about how Instituto operates, Bill and Melinda Gates would agree that our approach to career path and education programs foster an environment of civic participation and because of that are creating viable solutions to critical issues facing communities where many families are among the ranks of “working poor”.

Three interesting facts about the organization

Original murals decorate the main facility and each of our three satellite sites feature art created by Latino artists; one of our alumni, who is on our Board, is Illinois’ New Americans Initiative Director; Instituto has grown by over 200% in the past five years!

Three characteristics that best describe the organization

Instituto is Innovative; Efficient and Effective, and; Culturally Competent and Responsive to the Community

Favorite cause (outside of yours)

Instituto stands firmly in support of comprehensive immigration reform that includes legalization.

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Instituto Del Progreso Latino

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