Mission
The mission of Governor McAuliffe’s Latino Summit is to inform Latino Virginians about state resources and services available to them. This will also provide Governor McAuliffe’s administration with input on issues impacting the Latino community in areas of Education, Health & Human Resources, Workforce Development and Small Business.
Purpose
This summit highlighted the Governor’s mission in creating a “New Virginia Economy” and the critical role the Latino community contributes to a diverse economy and growing workforce.
Presentations
Below are links to the powerpoints from the four main presentations:
Building a Strong Foundation: Best Practices in our Public Education System
The Virginia Department of Education gave a general overview of the Hispanic Student population in Virginia, including the dropout rate among Hispanic Students, the enrollment process for English Language Learners (ELLs) and services available to ELLs. They also reviewed the Department of Education’s initiatives and board actions that impact ELLs, such as accommodations for Standards of Accreditation and End of Course Reading Assessment for ELLs.
In addition, a representative from the Harrisonburg Public School system shared innovative practices and solutions for engaging Latino children and families.
Empowering Latino Success Through Higher Education and Workforce Development
The State Council of Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV) provided an overview of the number of children in Virginia that are attending college on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival status. SCHEV also discussed financial aid assistance and scholarships available for students. In addition, the Northern Virginia Community College System highlighted articulation agreements between Community Colleges and 4 year Universities and also provided an overview of the Governor’s workforce initiative and his goal of increasing credentials by 50,000.
A Pathway to a Healthy Virginia: Health & Social Services Resources
The Department of Medical Assistance Services provided an overview of the Governor’s Healthy Virginia Plan, such as the Governor’s Access Plan for people with serious mental illness, increasing access to health insurance and the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan (FAMIS) and dental benefits for pregnant women.
The Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services also provided an update on the Commonwealth’s Aging Plan, including services available in the community such as transition services. In addition, the Department of Social Services provided an overview of the Commonwealth’s child care services for low-income Virginians.
How to Grow Your Business with the Commonwealth
The Department of General Services (DGS) provided an overview of Virginia’s eProcurement Portal (eVA) and demonstrated how to register your business with the Commonwealth. The newly formed Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD) provided an overview of how they can better assist Latino businesses in Virginia’s procurement opportunities.
In addition, SBSD highlighted Governor McAuliffe’s Executive Order 20, which advances equity for small, women and minority owned businesses.