Partner Spotlight: In conversation with Victor Ruiz of Esperanza
Published Tuesday, September 5, 2023 It’s no surprise that Esperanza works closely with Y.O.U. Both organizations were conceived in the early 1980’s at a moment when Cleveland was envisioning more educational and workforce-based opportunities for their youth. Esperanza celebrates its 40th birthday this year as the leading force for Northeast Ohio in empowering Hispanic/Latinx communities to flourish by equipping learners for educational attainment and lifelong success. They have been a Summer Youth Employment Program job site for almost a decade.
Esperanza started as college scholarship, but the local Hispanic community quickly realized there was a greater need. They soon expanded to focus on providing the support students need to graduate high school and then pursue post-secondary education or any type of meaningful pathway. Their clients range from kindergarten age to over 70 years old. They have programming in schools where mentor and provide wraparound support services in a culturally competent and bilingual manner. They also offer community based programming that includes English as a second language (ESL), digital literacy, and connections to workforce opportunities. They continue to award college scholarships…more than 100 each year! Esperanza provides wraparound services to post-secondary students to ensure graduation and connection to internship or career opportunities.
Esperanza’s executive director for 13 years, Victor Ruiz, came to Cleveland at the age of five. Ruiz shared, “Education is very important to me. The one thing my mother always stressed was there's only one pathway out of poverty, and that's education. So it's been a passion of mine my entire career. And I've been working with Y.O.U. the entire time I’ve been a professional in the area.” Ruiz collaborated with Y.O.U. when he was at Cleveland Scholarship Program, which is now College Now.
Victor is glad that Esperanza can partner with Y.O.U. to pay the wages for the youth in the summer. He thinks the partnership is important because around 14 to 18 years old, “our youth need to start contributing financially to the family. We want to make sure we minimize summer learning loss. It allows us to maintain connection with our students, and they can meet their family needs while having an income.”
The summer curriculum is grounded in the social emotional learning that matches the local Cleveland Metropolitan School Districts’ goals. They explore career options and spend time volunteering in the community, including cleaning up neighborhood and working with elders at the Hispanic Senior Center.
One of the highlights of the summer was when the youth got to attend an annual conference in Chicago hosted by Esperanza’s national affiliate, UnidosUS. They are the largest Hispanic and Latinx civil rights organization. UnidosUS gave Esperanza a grant to bring 10 coordinators and students, who competed in two youth teams for an entrepreneurship competition. One of them offered a way to create intergenerational connection with senior citizens. The second team created an app called Park 180 that used GPS and crowdsourcing to share the status of local parks and green spaces. A user can check what is happening at the park in real time and know if it’s safe to visit. This team came in second place!
To learn more about Esperanza, click on the links below. Y.O.U. is proud to have them as a partner and looks forward to continuing our work together for many years to come.