LAS VEGAS, Jan. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National Hispanic
Institute (NHI), a nonprofit organization that fosters leaders in
the expanding Latino community, and Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS)
today announced a progressive leadership training program for
Latino high school students in Las
Vegas made possible by a cumulative three-year $150,000 commitment from Sands Cares. Funding
enables NHI to build a volunteer alliance to lead NHI's leadership
development curriculum, along with scholarships for 38 students to
participate in the program's initial year.
The first stage of the NHI program is built around
communications-oriented training and development for rising high
school sophomores, culminating in their participation at the
California Sol Great Debate on July
12-17 at the University of San
Diego. NHI also will accept a small cohort of eight
sophomore students to serve as a mentor group in San Diego, as well as have their own eight-day
immersive leadership and governance experience at NHI's Colorado
Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session in June at Colorado State University.
NHI will accept the first round of applicants for ninth and
tenth grade students who apply by January
31, 2022. Eligible ninth grade students must have an 85/100
or 3.0/4.0 grade point average (GPA), and tenth grade students must
have an 88/100 or 3.2/4.0 GPA. Students from all backgrounds may
apply. Las Vegas students who are
selected to join NHI by March 31 will
receive tuition support from Sands Cares, and additional students
can join as the partnership enters its second and third years.
Interested students and school officials may contact Chris Nieto at cnieto@nhimail.com or
512-357-6137, or apply directly at
www.nationalhispanicinstitute.org.
"With Sands Cares' support to kick-start our efforts, NHI aims
to open doors for high school students by expanding their
opportunities to develop leadership skills, create networks and
increase their college prospects," said Nicole Nieto, NHI's executive vice
president. "Students who are intellectually curious and enjoy
community involvement often don't know where to access growth
opportunities. The experiences we organize feel like home for
students who want to make a difference in society."
Founded in 1979, NHI provides a series of immersive leadership
programs for high-performing, high-potential Latino high school
students. Its three core programs prepare students for leadership
and include the Great Debate, which emphasizes command of language
as a tool for self-advancement and community change; the Lorenzo de
Zavala Youth Legislative Session, which exposes students to
governance, organization development and policy design; and the
Collegiate World Series, which has a dual focus on tackling college
admissions and preparing for the call to community leadership. All
three programs work to build communication, organizational and
leadership skills, as well as prepare students for college and
active community engagement.
The launch of the Las Vegas
program represents a significant step in the relationship NHI has
been building with the community. In 2017, Rancho High School in
Las Vegas was named NHI's High
School of the Year in part to honor the region's developing
relationship with NHI. Separately, Sands had identified NHI as a
model program at the national level with success in communities
across the country and began discussions with NHI to bring the
program to Las Vegas.
"We saw that NHI's 40-year track record in helping students
reach their highest potential and becoming vital community
advocates could provide valuable experiences to develop future
Latino leaders in Las Vegas," said
Ron Reese, senior vice president of
global communications and corporate affairs, who spearheads
corporate responsibility for the company. "Sands is committed to
cultivating tomorrow's leaders by providing opportunities for youth
from diverse groups through education and mentorship initiatives
such as NHI's program. Our partnership was a natural fit with a
mutual goal of empowering the next generation of Latino
leaders."
Over the past two years, Sands has accelerated partnerships and
programming with organizations serving diverse communities, working
to empower and ensure civic representation among all groups. The
company also has supported youth development and mentorship
programs with 100 Black Men Las Vegas and Mastering Mindsets Las
Vegas.
About National Hispanic Institute
The National
Hispanic Institute was established in 1979 for the purpose of
expanding the leadership base of the emerging Latino community
through well-designed leadership programs aimed at high-potential,
college-bound high school students. Today, the organization
consists of various community-based partnerships that include
schools, colleges, alumni volunteers, local sponsors and alliance
groups that support NHI community and national training initiatives
for youth. To learn more, please visit
www.nationalhispanicinstitute.org.
About Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS)
Las Vegas Sands is
the world's preeminent developer and operator of world-class
Integrated Resorts. We deliver unrivaled economic benefits to the
communities in which we operate.
Sands created the meetings, incentives, convention and
exhibition (MICE)-based Integrated Resort. Our industry-leading
Integrated Resorts provide substantial contributions to our host
communities including growth in leisure and business tourism,
sustained job creation and ongoing financial opportunities for
local small and medium-sized businesses.
Our properties include The Venetian Resort and Sands Expo in
Las Vegas, the iconic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Through majority ownership in Sands
China Ltd., we have developed the largest portfolio of properties
on the Cotai Strip in Macao,
including The Venetian Macao, The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel
Macao, The Londoner Macao and The Parisian Macao, as well as the
Sands Macao on the Macao Peninsula.
Sands is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen, anchored
by the core tenets of serving people, communities and planet. We
deliver a great working environment for our team members worldwide,
drive social impact through the Sands Cares community engagement
and charitable giving program and lead in environmental performance
through the award-winning Sands ECO360 global sustainability
program. To learn more, please visit www.sands.com.
Contacts:
Nicole
Nieto
National Hispanic Institute
nnieto@nhimail.com
512-740-3918
Kristin Koca
Las Vegas Sands
Kristin.Koca@sands.com
702-414-3218
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