Creating a Model of Latino Peer Education: Weaving Cultural Capital Into the Fabric of Academic Services in an Urban University Setting

Over the last few decades, college admission rates for Latinos have increased. However, the achievement gap between Latino students and other ethnic groups remains wide. Peer mentorship programs have shared in some degree of success in promoting the academic success of diverse and underrepresented student populations. Despite the growing population of Latino students, little has been done to recognize the potential cultural assets and resilience that they can bring to the educational environment. Utilizing concepts from cultural capital and community cultural wealth, a peer-mentoring program for Latino students was developed. The Promotores de Educación program was designed to provide students with peer support, tutoring, and linkage to academic and student services to improve the educational experience of Latino students, leading to improved academic performance and timely graduation. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the development and implementation of the program.