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History

CONEXIONES was established in 2000 as a response to the needs of Hispanic/Latino children in Howard County schools. The 2000 census reported that nationally 44% of high school Hispanic students were dropping out of school.  In the Howard County Public Schools, Hispanic students were the lowest academic ethnic group annually since the middle 1990s.  The number of Hispanic faculty and staff in the school system was the smallest.

Dr. Murray Simon and Reverend Walter Rodríguez were co-founders of CONEXIONES.  The organization was established with the support of the then Howard County Public School System. Superintendent John O’Rourke.

Current Superintendent, Dr. Sidney Cousin, has been a staunch supporter of CONEXIONES and its objectives during the past five years.  Dr. Cousin has always been available to discuss and collaborate on the progress and special needs of the organization. 

The Howard County Board of Education has reserved times for special meetings.

Dr. Simon is a retired educator who spent 14 years of his career in five Latin American countries.  He served as a resident advisor to the Ministries of Education  of Colombia, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, El Salvador and Guatemala.

CONEXIONES was incorporated as a non-profit in the State of Maryland in early 2001.  It became an educational partner of the school system in January 2003.  In the year 2005, the Internal Revenue Service approved CONEXIONES as a charitable trust and as a non-profit organization.

The first two Hispanic liaisons were  assigned to Running Brook Elementary School in the late 1990s, before CONEXIONES was organized, under the supervision of Deborah Espitia, Chair of the system’s Foreign (now World) Language Department.  As a result of advocacy by Conexiones, recognition of the growth in Hispanic enrollment, and support from the elected Board of Education, the school system became the first in the State of Maryland to establish a Hispanic Achievement Specialist. Under the leadership of Elisa Montalvo, and thanks to the support of the administration and Board of Education, there are currently 12 liaisons in nearly all the schools with a high percentage of Hispanic students. 

Hispanic faculty members were also gradually appointed to the system but at a slower pace.

To meet the educational needs of Hispanic students at all levels, CONEXIONES helped initiate a number of programs to provide assistance and support to encourage students to complete high school, to consider higher education opportunities, and to be successful in their career choices.

CONEXIONES has been an advocate for changes in the policies, practices, and personnel of the Howard County Public School System, for the purpose of improving the performance and the educational outcomes for Hispanic students.

Dr. Murray Simon served as its first president from its inception in 2000 until 2007.  Feli-Sola Carter is its current president.

Below are some highlights in CONEXIONES history:

The first CONEXIONES Convocation took place in Kahler Hall in May 2002.  Eleven Hispanic students were recognized and honored.  All members of the Board of Education and Superintendent John O’Rourke were present.  Parents of honorees and members of the community attended.  The event was embellished with Spanish poetry, music and dance.

Between the years 2002 and 2008, CONEXIONES recognized and honored almost 300 Hispanic high school seniors in the various high schools in the County.  Convocations were held in the various high schools.  The numerical range of honorees were from eleven to 56.

CONVOCATION guest speakers and entertainers have enriched each annual program.  Among the guest speakers were Dr. Nancy Grasmick, State Superintendent of Department of Education in Maryland; Neuro Surgeon Dr. Alfredo Quiñones; Luis Borunda founder of United States Hispanic Youth Entrepreneurial Education;   Dr. Rodolfo Fernández, a local physician;  Rogelio Gómez, Associate Commissioner for International Policy at the Social Security Administration; Dr. Roberto Blanco, a physician and son of Virgilio Blanco; and, in 2008, Y. Maria Welch, Chair of the Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

Liaison: One of the achievements that CONEXIONES is most proud of is the establishment of a Hispanic Liaison for the Howard County School district. Elisa Montalvo now holds this position and has established liasions in about 12 schools. These are all full-time paid positions for individuals to serve as advocates for Hispanic students.   The program was established in 2006.

Clubs: There are 9 clubs for Hispanic students run by school faculty  members. Each club has its own name.  Each club decides on its own activities and receives a small amount of monetary support from CONEXIONES. The clubs may volunteer to assist others in the community, organize fundraisers and participate in social activities.

Since 2000, CONEXIONES  has produced annual Hispanic enrollment studies and has illustrated the growth of 594 students in 1995 to over 2,500 students in 2007.

CONEXIONES has presented annual educational conferences in the County open to the public and to faculty and staff members of the school system.

Several Maryland school districts have called upon CONEXIONES to try to emulate CONEXIONES activities.