Alsame Members and Partners,

2020 has been a challenging year for many reasons and the ways that we’ve had to adjust personally and professionally have been unprecedented and sometimes daunting for a lot of us. Historically, Alsame’s number one priority has been to plan events that make Latino/a/x students feel welcome, safe and appreciated. That part of our mission has not changed and with that in mind, the Alsame Executive Board has decided to cancel the 2021 Latinx Youth Conference that was going to be planned for May of 2021.

The decision to stop planning next year’s in-person conference was a difficult one but we understand that the risk that COVID-19 poses is one that is not going away any time soon and we want to make sure that the hosting institution is 100% comfortable in helping us make our next conference the best conference possible. Furthermore, COVID’s financial impact has and will certainly continue to be felt by many individuals and organizations, including Alsame members. We want to be respectful and we understand that it will take time for institutions to adjust to all of the changes.

We will continue to focus our energy into planning virtual events that will allow Latinx students and their families to learn from home or from school. We will make sure that students continue to learn from Latinx professionals that have overcome many challenges and continue to serve their communities seeking to impact the world. Our team is also heavily considering the option to organize a virtual event for Latinx higher education professionals that are seeking to make an impact within their institutions. Details to come soon!

What’s next? Dates have not been set but Alsame will host a virtual college fair and event in the fall of 2020 and at least one virtual event in the winter and spring of 2021. Our team will then begin to plan for the 2022 Latino Youth Conference. Alsame is now accepting applications for a member institution to host the 2022 conference. For more information, email me at  lopezs@alsame.org. It is not too soon to get this conversation going!

Want to help? Please send us ideas about what Alsame can do virtually for the rest of 2020 and in 2021. We are open to opportunities and partnerships that will allow us to keep our Latinx youth motivated and focused to take on whatever the world brings next. In the words of Dolores Huerta, “Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.”

Adelante.

Salvador Lopez, M.S.
Alsame Board Chair