Leadership for the Future
We are building a sustainable leadership pipeline in key sectors like our legal system, STEM fields, K-16 education, organized labor, social movements and the arts. By identifying and supporting emerging and mid-career leaders to accelerate their ascension to positions of power and influence, we hope to drive transformations within their institutions and society at large. Latina Futures also provides transitional support for established professionals to transfer knowledge to this dynamic pipeline and enhance their power-building networks as they prepare for their next chapters in leadership roles.
Latinas comprise only 2.5 percent of all U.S. lawyers, account for less than 1 percent of all partners in U.S. law firms, and have never served on the highest court in 44 states. Latina Futures is focused on supporting the next generation of leaders in law & policy fields through partnerships with UCLA Law Fellows and its flagship symposium.
Latina Futures aims to establish a pathway into STEM fields for Latinas, with a focus on hiring diverse Latina faculty and creating a network for Latina scholars and Latina focused STEM projects to grow collective impact in this sector.
As more Latinas pursue higher education degrees, they are confronted with the experience of learning from faculty that do not reflect their communities. Latina Futures aims to close this gap by creating more opportunities for Latina-led research and mentorship of Latinas at every stage of their academic career.
Featured Programs
Latina Futures has partnered with the UCLA Law Fellows Program to support their efforts as a springboard for Latinas to enter law school by demystifying the law school experience. The Law Fellows program focuses on participant’s academic development, to increase their competitiveness for admission to law schools. Fellows often have limited familial exposure to higher education and career opportunities and have had to overcome economic or educational hardship while maintaining academic excellence. Our partnership will increase Latina representation in the fellowship program to 45 percent while exposing fellows to various practice areas and career paths within the legal profession. Through academies, mentoring, admissions counseling, and test preparation, the program aims to increase law school admissions for this underrepresented community.
Latina Futures has developed a pilot program with the UCLA School of Nursing to focus on increased Latina recruitment in order to address the critical shortage of Latina nurses who make up only 8.4 percent of all nurses nationally. Future plans are to scale up this pilot to other physical and life sciences at UCLA, as well as focused recruitment from Cal State Universities to build a pipeline to STEM postgraduate study.
Latina Futures has also convened meetings with Latina STEM faculty to better understand their needs and chart future collaboration. This work, led by Stephanie Correa, associate professor of integrative biology and physiology, brings together Latina faculty on campus to create a sense of belonging and offer mentorship support to junior faculty, facilitating their success in STEM research. Latina Futures is also working in partnership with SACNAS to support their goal to advance Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Scienc
Latina Futures is building a pipeline for Latinas become leaders in law & policy fields by advancing the first ever Latina Futures Law and Policy Symposium which brought together over 400 prominent Latina scholars, attorneys, politicians, policy leaders, and students to engage in dialogue about what Latina-led interventions look like. Symposium participants are advancing regionally—focused collaborations in critical hubs like Texas, Illinois, and the Northeast, to spotlight the policy and legal opportunities to improve the economic, social,and political status of Latinas and other similarly situated groups.
The Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Research Colectiva is a network of scholars who advance research on the experiences and outcomes of students at HSIs to inform policy decisions and improvements in practice. Defined by the federal government, HSIs enroll at least 25 percent Latina/o undergraduates and serve as critical points for this community to access and succeed in higher education institutions. California has over 170 HSIs, the most in any state, which requires intentional planning for the future of these institutions and the Latina/o students within them.
Latinas enroll in colleges and universities in significant numbers but face a lack of equity within higher education, leading to challenges in completing their degree, entering post-graduate educational programs, and limiting their career advancement and economic mobility. The majority of HSIs were not created with a dedicated mission to serve Latina/o students. The Colectiva aims to provide these institutions with expanded understanding of Latina/o student experiences and outcomes to inform how educational institutions and policymakers can implement culturally-responsive approaches for student success.
The HSI Research Colectiva is co-led by Marcela Cuellar (UC Davis), Rebecca Covarrubias (UC Santa Cruz), and Gina Garcia (UC Berkeley). The Colectiva brings together HSI researchers and policymakers at its research convenings and is working to establish a collaborative, long-term agenda to advance HSI policy and practice in California.
