ESPERANZA’S ORIGINAL APPROACH
The Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia envisioned that Esperanza would create the conditions for success for those willing to participate in changing their destinies.
Woven throughout Esperanza’s suite of programs and services is a belief that while transitioning poverty to opportunity relies on ramps that are both in and of the neighborhoods they serve; the spark of lasting change ultimately begins within people and our ability to reinforce alternate narratives, such as the hope and belief in the possibility of an improved life. This critical personal asset of self-efficacy underlies Esperanza’s theory of change.
In the words of Esperanza founder and CEO Reverend Luis Cortés, “a person has to believe they have a chance to take a chance.” Opportunity communities contain alternate narratives of hope that increase the likelihood of residents developing self-confidence.
All of Esperanza’s institutions and programs approach students, clients, and community members with the aim of encouraging hope, cultivating personal responsibility, exercising voice, strengthening influence, and delivering transformative experiences.
A key part of our mission is to help families achieve economic self-sufficiency, which is challenging where 26% of the local population is unemployed. Our Pennsylvania CareerLink ® Center helps Philadelphia residents explore career options, learn about job openings, access job training programs, and understand career trends to prepare them to thrive as members of the workforce
ECEU is a branch campus of Eastern University and the only Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Esperanza College was recognized for excellence in Hispanic higher education as Education Champion of the Year (Hispanic Choice Awards, 2010), as an Example of Excelencia (Excelencia in Education, 2013).
Since 2006, Artístas y Músicos Latino Americanos (AMLA) has annually educated hundreds of our neighborhood’s youth. In addition to instrumental learning, AMLA also teaches Latino cultural heritage, music theory, and audio engineering. Our Latin Jazz Ensembles perform throughout the city, including at the Kimmel Center and Philadelphia Museum of Art. AMLA graduates have gained entrance into Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music and other performing arts institutions.
