About

ISLA Committees

As part of ISLA, you may serve on any of the following ISLA Committees. Being part of any committee is completely optional and at the moment all participants in these committees are committed to volunteer work of an average of 4 hours per month. If you are interested of being part of any of these committees you can email Kirk Whisler, kirk@whisler.com.

• Award Winning Author Tour Committee: As part of this committee your responsibilities include working along the Latino Literacy Now team and the Award Winning Authors from the International Latino Book Awards and Latino Book into Movie Awards. Only the Award Winning Authors interested in participating in any of the various tours through out the year will be contacted and the coordination will be possible with the help of this committee. More details are provided once you become part of this committee.
• Distribution Committee: As part of this committee your responsibilities include working along the Latino Literacy Now team to help distribute any information on events, tours, awards information, updates on the programs, newsletter information, etc. More details are provided once you become part of this committee.
• Latino Book & Family Festival Committee: As part of this committee your responsibilities include working along the Latino Literacy Now team and the Latino Book and Family Festival team on improving the festivals, provide more opportunities for everyone, work on possibilities of expansion to other cities, etc. More details are provided once you become part of this committee. Visit www.LBFF.us
• Public Relations Committee: As part of this committee your responsibilities include working along the Latino Literacy Now team to manage media contacts and press releases on the various details and updates on the programs. This committee will also work with the members of ISLA to help improve this effort and move forward. More details are provided once you become part of this committee.
• Video Committee: As part of this committee your responsibilities include working along the Latino Literacy Now team to provide video and podcast content for our members. This includes webinars and other information that can help every member move up skill levels. Such resources will become great learning venues for improvement. More details are provided once you become part of this committee.

About Empowering Latino Futures, formerly Latino Literacy Now

Empowering Latino Futures, formerly Latino Literacy Now, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in North San Diego County. Every day we build on more than 20 years of experience working with the Latino community to bring a combination of innovative, educational, and culturally relevant resources to this diverse community. To address the array of needs, we have developed a variety of programs that focus on lowering barriers by increasing access to education and uplifting Latino voices and talent.

Our mission is to remove barriers to educational and professional success for Latinos, Latinas, and other underserved communities by creating products, services, content, partnerships, and programs that lead to equal opportunity for all.

EVOLUTION

The organization started as a collective effort of various individuals seeking equal opportunities for all. Frustrated that no large, public events specifically targeted the needs of the Latino community, actor Edward James Olmos, Kirk Whisler, and other community members created the first Latino Book & Family Festival in 1997 in Los Angeles. The event drew 16,242 attendees and helped open the doors to new kinds of events focused on providing helpful resources for individuals and families in the Latino community. From this event, ELF was founded.

Over the years, ELF has grown to include a range of programs focused on empowering the Latino community. This includes developing and distributing educational resources as well as bringing together community members, experts on educational topics, and authors to promote reading and education and lift up Latino talent. Since 1997, our programs have been utilized by 1.7 million people and have directly impacted the lives of an estimated 7,500 people.