Juntos NC
What is Juntos?
Juntos (pronounced “Who-n-toes”) means “Together” in Spanish and works to unite community partners to provide Latino 8-12th undergraduate students and their parents with the knowledge, skills, and resources to prevent youth from dropping out of school and encourage families to work together to gain access to college. Research shows that Latino youth are at the highest risk of dropping out of school between the ninth and tenth grade. The Juntos Program reduces this risk by bringing groups of eighth grade youth together to support each other for 3-5 years as they enter high school and prepare for higher education together. The multifaceted partnerships between Extension’s 4-H and FCS agents, school and university administrators and staff, and community volunteers are what make the Juntos Program a sustainable success in many communities across the United States.
Our Story
The Juntos Program was initially developed in 2007 at NC State University to deliver a series of six family workshops that bring students and their parents together to learn about the US educational system. In 2011, National 4-H and DPI grants allowed the Juntos Program to expand from the singular family engagement component and add three more components. The Juntos Program currently maintains four components: 1) Family Engagement, 2) Juntos 4-H Clubs, 3) One on One Success Coaching and/or Mentoring, and 4) Summer Programming. Today, Juntos NC is located in 8 counties (Wake, Catawba, New Hanover, Greene, Sampson, Bladen, Orange, and Lee) and has served over 10,000 students and families.