Bridging the Gap: Empowering Latino/a Leaders Through the Daniel A. Domenech Scholarship

In a nation enriched by diversity, it's critical to ensure that our educational leadership reflects the richness of our population. Earlier this year, AASA took another significant step toward this goal by establishing the Daniel A. Domenech Scholarship. This scholarship provides financial support to up to two Latino/a leaders to join the Aspiring Superintendents Academy®.

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The U.S. Latino population reached 62.5 million in 2021, accounting for 19% of the U.S. population—up from 13% in 2000. Since then, Latinos have been the largest contributor to U.S. population growth, accounting for 54% of the growth.

Jie Zong. “A Mosaic, Not A Monolith: A Profile of the U.S. Latino Population, 2000-2020". https://latino.ucla.edu/research/latino-population-2000-2020

The Challenge

According to the Latino Policy & Politics Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2021, the U.S. Latino population accounted for 19% of the total population, a 6% increase since 2000. However, despite this demographic shift, an imbalance exists in educational leadership. Of the over 13,000 school districts in the U.S., only ~3% of superintendents are Latino or Latina.

A Solution

In response to this disparity, AASA launched the Aspiring Superintendents Academy® for Latino and Latina Leaders in 2020. Even with the program's success — approximately 15% of accepted applicants couldn't enroll due to financial barriers. Recognizing the importance of addressing this challenge and reaffirming our commitment to Latino and Latina educators, AASA proudly introduced the Daniel A. Domenech Scholarship earlier this year.

In its inaugural year, with the generous support of Frank and Shirley Dick Trust and Imagine Learning, the Daniel A. Domenech Scholarship proudly awarded $12,000 in financial support to scholarship recipients in the Aspiring Superintendents Academy®️ for Latino and Latina Leaders.

How You Can Help

This giving season, we invite you to be a part of this initiative! Your contribution to this scholarship fund can make a significant difference. By donating, you not only support aspiring superintendents on their career journey, you also support AASA’s efforts to build a diverse leadership pipeline that is reflective of our student and general population.

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