$30,000 /2012, 2013
3025 W. 37th Avenue, Suite 206
Denver, Colorado 80211
Pam Martinez, Co-Director
Website: www.padresunidos.org
Padres y Jóvenes Unidos (PJU) is a leader in the fight for the rights of immigrants, regardless of immigration status, and has made sure that educational equity is a central element of this struggle. Renewal grants of $30,000 in 2012 and 2013 will enable Jóvenes Unidos to continue to build youth leadership and power toward ending the School to Jail Track in Colorado, including intensive reform in Denver, increasing Denver Public School (DPS) accountability around disciplinary policy, continuing the College Prep for All initiative and continue their support for a range of state and national initiatives to increase immigrant student access to higher education , including campaigning for and winning in-state tuition at the state level and supporting the Dream Act and comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level. Over the last grant period Padres & Jovenes won a MOU between DPS and the Denver Police Department that limits police involvement in minor school offenses, passage of a bill (SB 46) that will significantly reduce referrals and arrests by law enforcement in schools and reduce suspensions, expulsions, and referrals and won the passage of CO Asset Bill to provide in-state tuition for undocumented students. Padres y Jóvenes Unidos continues to be active in a number of regional and national coalitions including: Colorado Juvenile Defenders Coalition, Colorado Progressive Coalition, Colorado Juvenile Defenders Coalition, the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, University of Colorado at Boulder National Education Policy Center, Colorado chapters of the NAACP, National Center on Time and Learning, Generations Schools, Colorado Legacy Foundation, OneColorado, the Alliance for Educational Justice and the Right to the City Alliance.