Under the leadership of the Latino Education Institute (LEI) at WSU, Aspire partners work together and under a collaborative process to develop a continuum of services for children and their families where leading education providers in and outside of public education, community-based organizations (CBOs), the private sector and public officials leverage their resources to maximize meaningful and relevant programming for Worcester’s youth and their families, while bringing the community together.
The Aspire Community Academy is committed to supporting economically disadvantaged youth of color, especially since the pandemic disproportionately impacted these populations. A large percentage of youth in Worcester remain disenfranchised by the digital divide. Their lives have been impacted by trauma, the hardships of economic necessity and disruption in their education. The current landscape of learning is in need of bold solutions that have intentional designs with strong instructional programming outside of school to meet the specific needs of students and their families with in-person and blended learning, where facilitators and mentors interact with youth and their families.
The Aspire website serves as a welcoming, informative, colorful, communication vehicle to share information with the students and families of Worcester, and help them see the world of possibilities for their futures, and recognize that they are agents of change, while also motivate and lift horizons for all.
The Aspire logo also encompassing the concept of reaching for, aspiring towards, rising up, lifting, raising, and the web visuals also frame the future of the children showing them the possibilities that they can aspire towards and much more.