Indiana Latino Institute Awarded $999,678 to Strengthen Latino Youth Serving Organizations
The Indiana Latino Institute has received a significant grant of nearly one million dollars from Lilly Endowment Inc. to boost the capacity of Latino-serving organizations and reinforce ILI’s education access program. Funded through Lilly Endowment’s initiative, Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana, this funding supports youth-serving organizations across Indiana in their mission to enhance the academic, physical, and social well-being of young people aged five to 18.
Expanding upon our current youth initiatives and robust partnerships, the Indiana Latino Institute (ILI) provides linguistically and culturally tailored programs for Latino youth in non-urban areas. This collaborative effort with three other Latino-serving organizations focuses on 14- to 18-year-old Latinos, stressing the importance of obtaining postsecondary qualifications and offering assistance with prerequisites, enrollment, and financial aid applications.
Marlene Dotson, ILI’s President and CEO, emphasized, “At the Indiana Latino Institute, our commitment is to empower Latino youth by expanding access to education and elevating fellow Latino-serving organizations. We provide culturally tailored programs that guide and inspire Latinos toward higher education, stressing the significance of postsecondary credentials while delivering vital support to help them achieve their goals.”
“Indiana’s youth-serving organizations are crucial to the healthy development of children and youth across the state,’ said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “The challenges these organizations have faced in meeting the needs of young people in recent years have made their work increasingly difficult. Lilly Endowment is pleased to support their efforts to strengthen programs and serve more youth more effectively.”
Lilly Endowment launched Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana Initiative in 2022 with an invitational round of grants to nine national youth-serving organizations to help them expand and enhance the work of their Indiana affiliates or chapters.
