Edúcate Ya

Vision

​In 2000, Rafael Arellano-Barrera founded the organization in response to a lack of Latinxs in leadership and managerial roles. His vision was to create an organization that would educate Latinxs on how to navigate the western system in order to achieve better jobs and health care, helping them to eventually become leaders in the American Society.​

Mission

The mission of Edúcate Ya is to facilitate multi-cultural exchange and address the integration challenges faced by Latinxs in Oregon through bilingual health, leadership, and education programs.

English/Spanish Intercambio

Our Intercambio program provides an opportunity for native English speakers to teach English as a second language to Latinos while improving their own Spanish speaking skills. Each volunteer commits to 2 hours a week for 6 months and attends a 3-hour training prior to beginning teaching.

ESL classes are taught one-to-one for 90 minutes, then volunteers practice their Spanish with students for 30 minutes. In addition to providing the language service, Intercambio reinforces our efforts to stay connected to our current Latino clients, their friends and families, the organizations that work with Latinos, and our partner organizations.