The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) announced today it has received a $2.5 million grant from the PepsiCo Foundation to further its mission of educating and training the next generation of Latino leaders. The historical and transformative grant represents the largest in CHCI’s nearly 40-year history and contributes to CHCI’s Comprehensive Campaign to create a 21st Century Leadership Center and program endowment that will also support the largest class of PepsiCo Foundation Fellows in CHCI’s history.
“I am extraordinarily grateful to the PepsiCo Foundation for their generous grant to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute,” said Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, CHCI Chairman. “The foundation of every state is the education of its youth. Each generation is measured by how we prepare our youth to lead and how we keep the promise and opportunity of the American dream alive for future generations, and it’s never been more critical that we invest in education and leadership development for young Latinos. The contribution of the PepsiCo Foundation, the largest in CHCI history, will ensure the future success of its mission and change lives.”
CHCI, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation have partnered since the founding of CHCI in 1978, transforming the lives of more than 500 young Latinos who have gone on to contribute to U.S. society in diverse fields from health and education, to forging public policy on Capitol Hill and serving as elected officials. The new five-year grant from the PepsiCo Foundation extends this long-standing partnership and demonstrates its strong commitment to developing effective and successful leaders who will help shape the future success of America. With this extraordinary grant, PepsiCo and PepsiCo Foundation’s historical investment in CHCI totals more than$4.4 million.
“We commend CHCI on its tremendous efforts to educate, develop and empower Latino youth and we’re proud to support this important organization,” said Al Carey, CEO of PepsiCo Americas Beverages and executive sponsor of PepsiCo’s Latino and Hispanic employee group, Adelante. “PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation are committed to helping CHCI further its mission and its 21st Century Leadership Center.”
The PepsiCo Foundation’s grant will help fund the 21st Century Leadership Center, the new home for CHCI’s programs and staff. The Center will be used as a convening, training and gathering place for Latino youth and national leaders to share ideas, experiences, leadership and values.
The grant also supports three graduate fellows and two public policy fellows in CHCI’s 2014-2015 Fellowship Program. This is the largest group of fellows sponsored by a single company in one year, and expands the PepsiCo Foundation’s ongoing commitment to developing Latino leadership. Over the next nine months, CHCI-PepsiCo Foundation Fellows will take part in CHCI’s intensive leadership development sessions, interact with leaders at the heart of today’s public policy challenges, strengthen their professional skills, and gain unsurpassed hands-on experience at the national level.
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