The Carolina Latinx Center (CLC), under the Vice Provost for Academic and Community Engagement, is dedicated to supporting UNC-Chapel Hill’s Latinx communities. The CLC’s placement within the academic branch of UNC sets us apart from its counterparts at other institutions, and it allows for the seamless integration of educational elements into our diverse range of over 14 annual programs and initiatives. Through engagement, scholarship, cultural awareness, and public service, the CLC endeavors to educate the campus and extend its impact beyond.
The work of the CLC is grounded in its values of Diversity, Empowerment, Familia, Innovation, and Orgullo.
By providing students, faculty, and staff with opportunities to explore Latinx cultures, histories, and traditions, the CLC encourages a deeper understanding that can be applied to collaborative efforts across racial and ethnic communities in North Carolina and globally. For individuals involved in research, teaching, and/or service related to Latinx communities and issues, the CLC serves as a connecting hub, fostering collaboration among them and community partners.
Initiatives
ENLACES – Volunteer Corps:
Funded by the Triangle Community Foundation, ENLACES involves students directly in center engagement and representation. After receiving training, volunteers actively serve and engage the community on Latinx culture, fostering continuous learning and Latinx identity building. We have a partnership with a local bilingual school to send volunteers weekly to engage with their fifth-grade students.
La Conferencia:
Creates a Latinx-centered space for networking and discourse in the spring semester, focusing on topics like access, social development, education, positive communication, and cross-cultural understanding. This annual conference empowers the next generation of Latinx thinkers with content areas covering academia, future planning, identity, and giving back.
Carolina Leadership Institute – LÍDER:
LÍDER is a year-round program for students both at UNC and around the state. This program focuses on the values of Latinx identity within leadership roles to build a cohesive pipeline of future leaders. In collaboration with the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, it nurtures leadership skills and cultivates a diverse and empowered workforce.
Carrion Global Experience Fund
Empowering Latinx students, this fund supports transformative international experiences led by the CLC in collaboration with faculty. Offering fully funded opportunities for semesters, summers, spring breaks, winter breaks, or maymesters in Puerto Rico, recipients are selected through a competitive process managed by the CLC selection committee in partnership with key offices, including the Office of Study Abroad and the College of Arts and Sciences. Covered expenses include airfare, accommodation, cultural excursions, and other program-related costs.
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