This belief then led to the development of ¡Salir Adelante! Caminos a Nuestro Futuro (Pathways for our Future), a program designed to provide tools and support to Latino Iowans to help them achieve their educational aspirations and improve their family’s well-being.

¡Salir Adelante! Pathways for Our Future aims to help communities connect with Latinx families to enhance family engagement and support youth in graduating from high school and enrolling in higher education. Understanding the support needed by Latino families to navigate the U.S. education system, the Iowa team created culturally tailored workshops covering decision-making, communication, and securing financial scholarships—essential elements for student success.

The program has successfully collaborated with Latino community organizations, schools, and Extension groups to implement and expand the program and build strong relationships. This program aligns with Extension’s commitment to extending university resources, and can serve as a framework for other Extension organizations aiming to support Latino populations. The team’s work was supported by the New Technologies for Ag Extension program.

¡Salir Adelante! Pathways for Our Future is this month’s featured program for Program Center Stage on Monday, February 25th. Sign up for their upcoming webinar to learn more about the program’s impact on Iowa families, how they developed their workshops, and how you can replicate their success for your own Extension program. To learn more about the project, read a story about the team’s work : Una Educación Sobre la Educación Feature Story available in the Extension Foundation’s library.