The Latino Center of the Midlands was one of six awardees at the 2013 Hall of Fame induction ceremony hosted by Omaha South High School on September 28th at the Livestock Exchange Building in South Omaha. Since 1987, the South Omaha High School Hall of Fame committee has honored alumni for their contributions to their alma mater, the communities in which they live, and to their professions. In addition to honoring five outstanding alumni, the High School also honored the Latino Center of the Midlands as its 2013 Community Award Honoree.
Latino Center of the Midlands has worked with Omaha Public Schools for over 20 years. It first established school-based programming when it operated as the Chicano Awareness Center. Back in the 1980’s, bilingual staff worked with South High counselors and teachers to ensure that young Latino students were on track to graduate. Not only did the center influence the rate of high school graduation at the school, but it also served as a conduit to engage more Latino, Spanish-speaking parents in the education of their children while also working with youth to attend college. Today, the Latino Center of the Midlands continues to serve South High youth by providing programming to prevent truancy and encourage parent participation and education. For more information about the Latino Center of the Midlands, visit www.latinocenterofthemidlands.org.