La Oportunidad is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and a recognized leader for providing effective educational and supportive programs that enable Latino individuals and families to achieve positive educational and social outcomes. The organization's mission is to champion the development of Latino individuals and families to create a strong, peaceful community. La Oportunidad achieves its mission by providing bilingual and culturally-relevant, research-base and family-centered, programs for Latino children, youth, adults, and families, including the El Camino (The Path) Children's Program, the Latino Youth Program, the Padres (Parents) Program, and the Latinos Ending Abuse Program (LEAP). These programs focus on the development of skills and support systems that result in strong, healthy, economically stable families; and children and youth who are resilient, connected to their cultural strengths, achieve their potential, and prepared to succeed.

• The El Camino (The Path) Children's Program provides weekly bilingual school-based, after school programming and a summer camp to Latino children to assist them in developing their assets, and positive attitudes and behaviors in the areas of self, family, and community.  The purpose of the program is to develop healthier and stronger children who will be less vulnerable to negative influences and behaviors in their adolescence. In 2011, El Camino served 262 children.

• The Latino Youth Program provides weekly school-year groups and leadership programming to assist Latino adolescents to develop positive attitudes and behaviors in the areas of education, self, family, and community that will help them to become positive, contributing members of the community. In 2011, Latino Youth Programs served 525 youth.

• The Padres Parenting Programs provides weekly year-round educational and supportive groups to empower Latino parents with the tools necessary to support their children’s education, and raise healthy, well-adjusted children who will contribute to their communities. In 2011, Padres direct programming served 406 parents. 82% of the parents who participated in the Padres Parenting Program increased participation in their children’s education.

• The Latinos Ending Abuse Program (LEAP) provides year-round weekly educational and supportive groups classes to Latino men and women to give them the tools, education, and support necessary to help eliminate violent behaviors in their relationships, families, and communities. In 2011, LEAP served 122 Latino adults.

Board of Directors and Staff

Employment Opportunities

A Message from the Executive Director

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Major Recent Accomplishments 2011:

Despite the state of the economy, La Oportunidad enjoyed yet another successful year.  Below, we share a partial list of accomplishments from this past year:

Direct Services: 1,419 Latino children, youth, parents, and adults achieved greater capacity, developed practical skills, learned to nurture healthy relationships, and developed a connection to a stronger and more peaceful community by participating in the organization’s programs. Of the total number of individuals served, 420 participated in multiple semester groups or activities/events.

Latino Youth Leadership & Peace Conference 2011: La Oportunidad hosted the 11th annual Peace and Leadership Conference at Augsburg College May 14, 2011 for high school and middle school youth. 178 youth attended, along with 77 adult school personnel, chaperones or volunteers and a team of 18 youth volunteers who planned and conducted the day’s activities. The conference, with the theme “Moving with the Sole” provided participants the opportunity to experience the cultural significance of dance and its role in cultural pride, self-esteem and mental health.  

Early Literacy Programming:  104 participated in early literacy activities within the Padres program in 2011. Early literacy programming introduces parents and children to the library system, increases the number of books children read independently and with their parents, and promotes an understanding among parents of the value of reading with their children.

Financial Wellness Education:  Financial literacy education has become well integrated within the Youth, Padres, and LEAP Programs.  In 2011, over 700 Latino youth and adults received between 3-8 hours of financial education.

Volunteer support: In 2011, the organization enjoyed 1,796 hours of support from 53 volunteers.

Community Education and Outreach: Approximately 20,000 individuals were reached through La Oportunidad’s En Familia (In the Family) cable television program, by coordinating events and educational presentations, and through partnerships. Program topics aired in 2011 included mental health, domestic abuse, and La Oportunidad’s prevention programs, 2010 Census results on Latino figures and the impact on the Latino Community, oral health, and social service programs serving Latinos.