This week’s spotlight is on UnidosNow.
UnidosNow is a nonprofit organization that partners with The 26 West Center. Its mission is to empower all generations of the Latino community in Sarasota by providing all the tools needed to build a successful educational path for local students.
Many of the students that UnidosNow works with are from low-income families and stay local for school so they can provide support to their families or work in their family businesses. Oftentimes, because of this, students don’t have the ability or time to go off and follow their own dreams.
UnidosNow bridges the gap between students and their potential. By partnering with community resources like The 26 West Center, UnidosNow is able to show students and their families the varying resources they have access to build up their own business or expand their family’s existing business.
The 26 West Center offers a variety of opportunities for students and parents. For example, students that are interested in starting their own business, or parents that want to learn more on how to run theirs can go to classes that cover topics such as website building, business expansion, marketing and more.
The 26 West Center is unique because it isn’t only for students, it is a community resource, so anyone can benefit from it. This is especially useful in UnidosNow’s mission, because it allows for the parents to learn by themselves rather than relying on their kids, which in turn allows the kids to focus on their dreams.
Luz Corcuera, the Executive Director of UnidosNow, said what she loves most about The 26 West Center is that “It’s a place where you can dream big and brainstorm together, four year colleges and nine to five jobs aren’t always the answer.”
What’s even more promising is that, not only can you dream big at The 26 West Center, but you can also watch those dreams turn into reality. Luz mentioned to us that there are many students that have been finalizing business deals within The 26 West Center.
