University of Northern Colorado partners with local schools to provide teacher role models for growing Hispanic population.

By Dina Horwedel

GREELEY, Colo.
The town of Greeley, perched on northern Colorado’s prairie, is like

many other communities across the United States that are experiencing an influx of immigrants. In fact, Greeley’s overall population has doubled since 2002. Since its founding as a farming community in 1870, Greeley has grown to include high-tech, computer manufacturing, insurance, retail and construction industries, all of which require educated workers. But its low cost of living, easy access to the mountains and mild climate continue to draw immigrants from Mexico, and Central and South America.

The picturesque town of 85,000 people had a 30 percent minority population as of the 2000 U.S. Census. Estimates place that figurecloser to 40 percent today, most of whom are Hispanic. Less than 1 percent of the city’s residents list themselves as Black or American Indian, and only 1.15 percent checked the Asian/Pacific Islander box. With the town’s current demographics, it was only natural that the University of Northern Colorado, located in Greeley, is training its teacher education students to help educate the region’s growing Hispanic population.

In addition to UNC, Colorado educators and policy makers are working hard to welcome Hispanic students into the state’s colleges and universities, and are starting with teacher education programs as a means to recruit and retain Hispanic students at all educational levels.

A Language-Based Approach
“Cumbres” (Spanish for “peaks”), founded by UNC’s Hispanic Alumni Partnership, is a teacher education program that seeks to reach students who are committed to working with Hispanic school children in the public schools. Students in the program start together as freshmen, taking core courses each year to prepare them for their primary areas of teacher certification. But their education goes further. In addition to the standard teacher education coursework, Cumbres students are also studying Bilingual Education or Teaching English as a Second Language. The goal is to be able to reach school children who may be bilingual or primarily Spanish speakers.