LAWA - Latin Americans Working for Achievement

Since 1992, Latin Americans Working for Achievement (LAWA) has been a pioneer in addressing education disparities by supporting career and college readiness of young Latinos in the Charlotte region. LAWA’s goals are to close academic achievement gaps, increase the number of students who pursue and complete post-secondary education, and prepare a self-sufficient and bilingual workforce.

The organization has impacted hundreds of students with two core programs:

LAWA Youth Scholarships are financial awards that support Latino students seeking to attend and complete certificate programs, associate, or bachelor’s degrees. Since its founding, LAWA has awarded over $1,000,000 in scholarships. LAWA Youth Scholarships are competitive, and the selection criterion is based on student’s financial need, academic merit, and community involvement.

In 2021, LAWA granted $109,000 in undergraduate study scholarships.

High School Series is a high school drop-out prevention and workforce development program conducted in collaboration with local colleges and universities in the Charlotte Region. The program delivers bilingual (Spanish/English) workshops for students and parents providing guidance and informational resources.

Since its launch in 2010, HSS workshops have served more than 1,700 students