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Connecting Communities: Reaching out to Latino youth and families
The Oregon 4-H program is pleased to host the Connecting Communities Conference as part of its ongoing effort to increase the participation of Latino youth and families in the many activities and opportunities provided by local communities.  Over the last eleven years 4-H has worked in counties statewide to reach and engage Latino youth in our program. In the course of our experience we learned that to be successful in outreach we had to be open to new understandings and new ways of doing. We also observed that many organizations struggle with the same outreach challenges that we encountered.   The Connecting Communities Conference builds on our experience (as well as the knowledge and experiences of others) to provide organizations with a learning opportunity that will promote success in reaching and engaging Latinos, as well as increasing their participation in the mainstream.
 
Successful outreach to Latinos demands knowledge and skills that go beyond knowing how to speak Spanish.  An understanding of Latino cultural perspectives and the daily experience of Oregon Latinos underlies the ability to build relationships and trust with Latino communities and to design programs that will engage their involvement.  The conference will address these understandings as well as introduce key elements of culturally responsive practice.  Staff of successful outreach programs will also be present to share what they have learned in the process of working with Latino community members.

The conference will reflect a focus on practical and applied information.  There will also be opportunities for attendees to network and share their own efforts to engage Latino youth and families.  Conference planners hope that this conference will initiate a statewide community of common interest that will help to support Latino outreach efforts following the conference.