The Oct. 17 symposium, “Meeting the Moment: Safeguarding Education Pathways for Latino Students in Massachusetts,” will feature policymakers, K-12 and higher education leaders, and Latino youth
Worcester State University will host educators, policymakers, and youth from around the state Friday, Oct. 17, for a symposium focused on safeguarding and expanding educational opportunities for Latino students.
The symposium, “Meeting the Moment: Safeguarding Education Pathways for Latino Students in Massachusetts,” will open with a welcome from Worcester State President Barry Maloney and a plenary session with Viviana Abreu Hernandez, president of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center; and Melissa Colón, assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development and research associate at the Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, both at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Following the plenary, there will be breakout sessions focused on centering youth voices, federal and state actions, educational pathways, and supporting ELS.
“A thriving educational ecosystem is at the heart of the Commonwealth’s strength,” said Mary Jo Marion, Worcester State’s associate vice president for University and Community Engagement. “Our schools and families are confronted with broad forces that are shifting priorities, policies, and funding decisions. With so much at stake, this gathering aims to foster dialogue, build collaboration and strengthen our collective ability to protect educational opportunities.”
The symposium builds on the work of the new book Critical Perspectives on Latino Education in Massachusetts (University of Massachusetts Press, August 2025). The book features 15 chapters by authors from across the state and focuses on three areas: tackling myths about Latino education, reimagining the Latino educational experience, and creating a fresh environment in Massachusetts schools with new student-centered practices.
Worcester State professors Thomas Conroy and Timothy Murphy of Urban Studies, Alex Briesacher of Sociology, and Mary Jo Marion, associate vice president for University and Community Engagement, are co-authors of the book’s chapter, “A Chance to Compete in Today’s America? Considerations of Academic Performance, Exclusionary Discipline, and Belonging of Latinx Students in Worcester Public Schools.”
The symposium runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Worcester State University’s Sullivan Auditorium in the Sullivan Academic Center. It is co-sponsored by the Worcester State Latino Education Institute, the Worcester State Urban Studies Department, and the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Register here. [1]
Here is the day’s schedule:
9-10:45 a.m.: Opening Plenary: “¿Qué está pasando? Grappling with broader forces disrupting educational ecosystems.”
11 a.m.-12: 15 p.m.: Breakout Sessions:
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- Centering Youth Voices: Leadership and Action: Moderated by Worcester State Professor Timothy Murphy, with panelists Patricia Krugger Henney, associate professor of Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies at University of Massachusetts Boston; Alexandra Oliver-Dávila, executive director of Sociedad Latina; and Maria Juncos Gautier, executive director of Worcester State’s Latino Education Institute.
- Policy and Practice: Federal & State Actions Shaping Families and Children’s Lives: Moderated by Worcester State Professor Thomas Conroy, with panelists Cristina Araújo Binkerhoff, lecturer and researcher at Boston University School of Social Work and president of the Brazilian Workers Center; and Diana Santiago, legal director of Massachusetts Advocates for Children.
- Safeguarding Educational Pathways: From PK–12 to Higher Education: Moderated by Carmen Veloria, associate vice president for Academic Affairs at Central State Connecticut University, with panelists Liya Escalera, faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-chair of the Higher Education concentration; and Claudia Ortiz, director of Admissions Recruitment at MassBay Community College.
- Navigating a New Landscape: Supporting ELS After Federal Disinvestment: Moderator Fabián Ardila Torres, associate director of the Gastón Institute of Latino Community Development at University of Massachusetts Boston; and panelists Allison Balter, special advisor, director, at the Office of Language Acquisition, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; Meg Burns, director of Professional Learning at the Multistate Association of Bilingual Education; and Jessica Mandes, director of Multilingual Education for the Worcester Public Schools.
12:30- 2 p.m. – Networking and Lunch: Crear Comunidad: Hungry for Community with Worcester State Associate Vice President of University and Community Engagement Mary Jo Marion.