Esperanza

About Esperanza

Founded 40 years ago to help Hispanic immigrants’ access education and employment, a scholarship, reading and tutoring program were quickly developed. Today, the Mission of Esperanza is to improve the academic achievement of Hispanics in Greater Cleveland by supporting students to graduate high school and promoting post-secondary educational attainment. Through the years, we have witnessed great progress: the Hispanic graduation rate has doubled in 5 years from 30% to 64%; our participants’ graduation rate is 97%. We have reason to celebrate this success, yet will remain steadfast in delivering exceptional programming, until the graduation rate sustains itself at 100%. Executive Director Victor Ruiz leads a staff of 20 and 200+ volunteers, who work to provide direct services to over 700+ students and 300+ families annually. Innovation, creativity, and passion fuel these programs, which concentrate on positive outcomes. We advocate for improvements in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) through multiple civic, corporate, and private institutions. Recently, the White House named us a ”Bright Spot” in Hispanic education; an honor only given to top-notch, high performing non-profit entities. All activities correspond to our mission of improving the academic achievements of Hispanic youth. Through our evidenced-based programs focused on results, we have favorable outcomes which are leading to the development of strong communities. Our 12 programs fall under the following 4 umbrella areas: Leadership, Academic Support, Family Support and Mentoring. The 4 pillars of life success. With 85% of funds coming from charitable support, and our business-oriented method of operating, we are a trustworthy, transparent, efficient organization to invest funds in for the betterment of our shared communities. Learn more about us at

Experience

1. Improving the Academic Achievement of Hispanics

   Esperanza, Inc

   Mar 1983 — Present · Cleveland/Akron, OH, US