The primary goal is to provide nutritious meals to the students, mentors, and parents in the MI CASA (Mentors Initiating Community Action, Support, and Advocacy) mentoring program during designated programs hours. This grant will ensure all students have access to meals, particularly those in low-income households who may otherwise go without. This fund will help the program have nutritious meals at the beginning of each session for the MI CASA students and families to ensure they have the opportunity to fully absorb their academic activities and identity development experiences. This plan would be implemented in the 2025-2026 academic year. Starting from August 2025, to May 2026. Meals will be provided approximately bimonthly. This includes special events such as ‘Seahawk for a Day’, ‘End of Semester Luncheon’, and ‘Interview Day’. These special events provide unique opportunities to high school students that not only motivate them to pursue a higher education but also foster an environment of community and support throughout their academic career.
The overall mission of this program is to provide access to higher education to Hispanic/Latinx high school students in Southeastern North Carolina, who wish to further their education in universities like UNCW. During this college preparatory process, high school mentees and UNCW mentors foster a stronger sense of community. The MI CASA program strives to provide personalized guidance and assistance to high school students, who share similar cultural backgrounds to their mentors. Other impacts that we intend to create within our organization includes improved academic performance, increased college enrollment and acceptance rates, and the development of a successful network of Hispanic/Latinx students who support one another. Being able to foster life skills such as leadership, self-confidence, resilience, and a commitment to education, at such a young age, is an achievement in its own. Over 50% of our MI CASA scholars are first generation college students, whose parents often have limited formal education. The preparation MI CASA is providing to these families has been able to interrupt generational inequities and is creating pathways to improved lifestyles. The MI CASA team is confident that by disseminating the narratives and stories we gather while participating in the experiences made possible by this funding, the positive influence will be felt beyond the immediate audience.
The Endowment’s priority area focuses on improving student well-being and academic success, particularly for those who face socioeconomic challenges. This project directly aligns with this priority area by tackling food insecurity.