DETROIT, Michigan – SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc. was awarded a $9,000 education grant from AT&T to provide youth ages 16 years old and older with the opportunity to advance in their education.
SER YouthBuild Learning Academy serves to provide learners with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become successful citizens of a global society. SER Youthbuild Learning Academy is structured for students to participate in academic instruction in the classroom with a virtual learning experience. Students participate in a vocational track specifically in the building trades. Students also earn stipends and transportation incentives during the school year and have the option to participate in a work experience with one of SER’s employer partners.
Since 2008, SER Youthbuild Learning Academy formerly (SER Learning Academy) has served as an alternative high school for youth aged 16-21 years old. In addition, SER has maintained a YouthBuild program funded by the department of labor for the last 10 years. The merger of the two programs leads to a unique school that is tailored to the needs of each student. The school is open to any eligible Metro Detroit youth.
AT&T is dedicated to supporting its local communities. AT&T wants to raise high school graduation rates and believes in preparing students for college and careers through their education initiatives. To date, AT&T has committed $400 million to programs that support education. Today, AT&T is a leader in diversity. They’re a diversity partner and a committed member of the communities we serve.
SER Metro-Detroit has a long-standing partnership with AT&T to help provide services that promote financial stability and education in and around our community. AT&T’s investment in our organization will allow us to expand our reach and improve the quality of life for City of Detroit youth.
SER-Jobs for Progress Florida is one of Florida’s leading providers of workforce development services.
Founded in 1978 in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, the organization’s area of service has stretched from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Keys, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Everglades.
The organization primarily offers outsourcing services to state and local governments.
Mission Statement
SER-Jobs for Progress is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enabling individuals and families to become self-sufficient through education, workforce development and employ.
When the nation began to experience the current mortgage crisis, it became evident that SER’s participants were being affected. So, with the guidance and financial backing of our long-time partner Esperanza USA, SER began offering housing assistance programs. Esperanza, which in Spanish means Hope, is a national faith-based organization headquartered in Philadelphia.
SER Florida annually serves over 150 families facing the loss of their homes.
Together We Make Texas Stronger — Texas Workforce Solutions! Local Workforce Development Boards (Boards), workforce and vocational rehabilitation partners, and educational partners stand ready to fulfill the needs of both employers and job seekers. Texas Workforce Solutions supports Texas communities in the development and facilitation of state-of-the-art programming that enhances the potential for success of businesses and job seekers. Join us in Dallas at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel for the 21st Annual Texas Workforce Conference, co-hosted with the Texas Chapter of The International Association of Workforce Professionals, as we present an information-filled conference that will reinforce our strength of partnerships, because Together We Make Texas Stronger!
Feature Photo:
Left to Right: Ignacio Salazar, President/CEO – SER Jobs for Progress National, Inc.; Frank Casillas, Central States SER; Eva Garza Dewaelsche, President/CEO – SER Metro Detroit Jobs for Progress, Inc./SERCO; Manuela Maldonado-Zarate, VP and COO, SER Metro Detroit Jobs for Progress, Inc.; Blanca Vargas, Central States SER; Frank Kross, Partner – PFS Financial, LLC –Des Plaines, IL, and Rojelio Padilla, Treasurer, President- Carlex Group.
Great news! SER National is a registered charitable organization on AmazonSmile. The AmazonSmile Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) foundation created by Amazon to administer the AmazonSmile program. All donation amounts generated by the AmazonSmile Program are remitted to the AmazonSmile Foundation. In turn, the AmazonSmile Foundation donates those amounts to the charitable organizations selected by their customers. The only way to support SER through the AmazonSmile Foundation is to shop on AmazonSmile.
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, they offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations. Special terms and restrictions may apply.
Since 1971, La Alianza Hispana has been an icon of Latino leadership, consistently serving as a portal to hope for well over 30,000 Bostonians. As a hub of social service delivery, advocacy, and education, the organization has changed the landscape of community resources and improved many lives.
One of these lives was that of Nydia Mendez. Read her story below, and visit www.laalianza.org for additional stories of success.
The Journey is Everything. For over 41 years, La Alianza Hispana has been a starting point for many leaders in Boston’s Latino community.
La Alianza Hispana launched in 1970 with the vision and determination of community organizers/ teachers, Ana Maria Rodríguez and Betsty Trage. Inspired to change the reality of the impoverished Latino students they were seeing in their classrooms, Ana Maria and Betsy rallied the community to respond to the growing socio-economic challenges facing the Latino community. They made a strong case for support. By providing education and culturally appropriate family support, Latinos could and would thrive in Boston.
Once La Alianza Hispana’s doors opened, the Mendez Family entered with big dreams. Nydia Mendez, tells her story. “We came to Boston to study. My mother was an elementary school teacher in Puerto Rico and my father was a construction worker. When we arrived in 1968, the only jobs available for my parents were in the factories producing war supplies. My parents worked incredibly hard and struggled with learning English and teaching us English as well. They knew that in order to get ahead and realize their dreams, we all needed better educational opportunities. My mom is the one that enrolled the whole family in La Alianza Hispana in 1970. It became the lighthouse for our family. It was a safe place where we learned and connected with others who understood our struggle and our dreams.” Frieda Garcia, a La Alianza Hispana founder and the agency’s first executive director, had a profound impact on the Mendez Family. “She was such a role model for me. Frieda inspired all of us to get involved and take responsibility for ourselves and our community” shared Nydia.
Nydia and her brother were enrolled in La Alianza Hispana’s summer camp program while her parents took English classes. During high school, they both became peer leaders in the after school program. Nydia went on to earn a degree in education from Boston University. She launched her career as an educator in the Boston Public Schools. Over the last thirty years, she has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and has worked as a principal and an administrator. Nydia was the first Puerto Rican and Latina to become a school principal in Boston. She has also been involved in governance over Boston Public School’s bilingual education initiatives.
Today, Nydia is serving as the Program Director for English Language Learners for the Pilot Schools Programs, a division of the Boston Public Schools Department. On occasion, Nydia returns to La Alianza Hispana to organize Latino parents and engage them in bilingual education programs. She knows the power of a helping hand. She sees the impact access to education has on the whole family. She hears the stories of successful Latino family who mirror her own experience. She also understands the importance of giving back to the community that makes dreams a reality.
La Cocina VA, one of our affiliates, is doing incredible things!
Located in Arlington, Virginia, La Cocina equips unemployed and underemployed Hispanic adults with the skills and certification necessary to work in the culinary and hospitality industry. Participants also improve their English skills as they prepare to enter the workforce.
