Challenges In Hispanic Education To Be Explored

 WASHINGTON  -- With Hispanics comprising more than twenty percent of the public school population, the White House is focusing on Hispanics, declaring that, "to meet national goals for improving academic achievement, success of the Hispanic community is key."  To explore the state of Hispanic education and bring this message to Spanish speaking America, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics is partnering with Spanish broadcaster, Vme to develop programming for television, online, mobile, and community engagement events.

As part of its partnership with the initiative, Vme will create an original special, El Futuro de la Educacion Hispana. This wide-ranging special will explore challenges to Hispanic education from early childhood learning to higher education. Through interviews with education leaders and experts, students, parents, demographers, advocates and others, this program will discuss the critical role education plays in the advancement of Hispanics, the success of the U.S. educational system, and readiness for the future workforce of America.

Hispana premieres in April, 2011 as a multi-screen event broadcasting simultaneously on-air, online, on Facebook and on mobile phones. Additionally viewers will participate in a live-chat on Facebook during the broadcast of the program.

Vme will also provide news coverage, interviews and updates on the progress of the White House Initiative in a new weekly series called Contigo por la Educacion . These weekly updates will document key issues and feature live footage from the White House Initiative's national listening tours that ask educators, businesses, community leaders, parents, and others on the front lines of this challenge how Latino education can be improved and what the initiative should be doing to spearhead those efforts. Led by the Vme Noticias team, Contigo por la Educacion will highlight sustainable and effective approaches that will increase high school and college graduation rates, improve overall school readiness and promote the fundamental importance of education. The updates will be available online and on television.

"President Obama has called on us to forge partnerships that link key organizations from outside the education system in ourRace to the Top goals," said Juan Sepulveda, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. "Given the critical role Hispanics play in our national education goals, this new collaboration between the White House Initiative and Vme helps us deliver the message to Vme's national audience and create a national dialogue about Hispanic education."

"Dramatically improving the performance of our kids in school is not only fundamental to the advancement of Hispanics in the U.S., but to America's future prosperity and growth," said Carmen DiRienzo, President and CEO "Vme is excited to partner with the White House Initiative to shine a spotlight on the critical role that Hispanic academic success plays in Race to the Top and our national goals for improving academic achievement."

Vme was selected for this unique partnership because of its strong commitment to education. Everyday, Vme helps children prepare for school with the country's only daily block of educational preschool programming in Spanish. Presented in partnership with public television, this high-quality preschool programming encourages early learning and development. Vme's commitment to preschool education fits squarely with the White House emphasis on school readiness, which leads to long-term school success.

In nearly 40 markets, Vme is available free over-the-air, and on basic digital cable. Vme is also carried nationally via satellite in the basic and Hispanic packages of Dish Network and DirecTV. In some areas, Vme is available on Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse. For local channel information go to vmetv.com/estaciones.

About Vme – Vme has made the promise to be Contigo to Hispanic families delivering drama, music, sports, news, current affairs, Latin cinema, food, lifestyle, nature and educational preschool content. The 24-hour Spanish network, partnered with public television stations, is currently available in more than 10 million Hispanic homes. Vme is the first venture of the media production and distribution company, Vme Media Inc.