History and Purpose
Keys to Success (Las Llaves del Éxito) was started in fall 2002 by a committee of community members who wanted to encourage high school students to graduate from high school and to continue their education. The founding group intended to target the Latino community and its tendency to make family-based decisions about attending college, and sessions were created to inform students and Spanish-speaking parents about options for higher education. All interested high school students may attend, and the program now serves as an access tool for larger, underrepresented communities in Dallas.
Two Events
Keys to Success/Las Llaves del Éxito started with a fall semester event; it has expanded to include a spring program as well. In the fall, Las Llaves is a general program open to all interested students in grades six or higher and their families; it includes informational workshops, a lecture series and a college fair. The spring session targets high school juniors and seniors, as well as their parents, and offers a college fair, plus specific workshops on financial aid and admissions to meet the needs of college-bound students.
Meeting Community Needs
Keys/Las Llaves continues to offer a number of bilingual sessions for parents; sponsors now include the Dallas County Community College District, the Dallas Independent School District and the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as well as area colleges and universities.
Participation
In fall 2009, the program attracted more than 1,500 participants to the campus of Mountain View College, including lunch guests and walk-ins following the official registration period. Middle and high school students attended the fall 2009 program from Dallas ISD and several other school districts; a total of 44 high schools and middle schools from Dallas County were represented. A total of 34 vendors also participated, including 26 colleges and universities and eight other vendors. More than 200 volunteers helped students and their parents during the event.
Contact Information
For more information in either English or Spanish, call DCCCD at (214) 378-1773, or visit http://www.dcccd.edu/keystosuccess or
http://www.dcccd.edu/llavesdelexito.