Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through week-long sample lessons from the Cesar Chavez Foundation’s signature K-8th grade curriculum. Develop students’ knowledge of Hispanic culture and ability to share and connect to their own stories.
Please visit chavezeducation.org or click the button below to learn more.
In an evolving media and political landscape, one thing remains constant: Chavez Media’s commitment to providing accurate information, empowering the community, and supporting informed decision-making.
Beginning with Radio Campesina, the flagship program of Chavez Media, has had a long and enduring history of uniting the community by providing trusted information. Founder Cesar Chavez recognized that farm workers needed a dependable source of information they could count on throughout their day. By blending timely news with meaningful entertainment, he helped build connection, resilience, and a sense of belonging within the community. Radio Campesina, known as “La estación que no se vence en la lucha” (“The station that never gives up in the struggle”), has garnered millions of listeners. Today, Chavez Media continues to serve as a powerful medium for sharing information across communities and inspiring engaging conversations.
Through innovative partnerships, the Chavez Foundation has created a space to bring in young talent dedicated to empowering and educating underserved communities. Recently, through a grant by the Pivot Foundation, Chavez Media hired its newest talent, Ernesto “Lego” Legorreta Rodríguez, with an effort to engage younger audiences and usher in a new era of diverse voices, particularly in underserved cities like Phoenix, AZ. Rodríguez brings over a decade of expertise, having worked as an editor for Mexicali’s largest newspaper, La Voz de la Frontera.
By engaging directly with Phoenix’s nearly 50% Latino population, Rodríguez has built a deep understanding of local concerns – dispelling misinformation, encouraging civic engagement, and highlighting often-overlooked stories. His work helps replace fear with knowledge by merging traditional journalism with digital tools. Rodríguez reaches audiences across La Campesina’s platforms. Through the Know Your Rights (Conoce tus Derechos) campaign, he delivers clear, accessible guidance on topics like immigration, earning trust as a familiar figure across La Campesina’s community.
For more than 40 years, La Campesina’s legacy lives on through a new generation carrying its mission forward. As digital natives, Gen Z brings a fresh perspective that expands the station’s reach and creates space for honest conversations about complex but necessary topics. Rodríguez’s unique perspective has helped bridge generations while remaining true to La Campesina’s core mission: to inform and uplift. By building a space where culture is reflected and unique voices are valued, this new approach, piloted in Phoenix, AZ, sets the stage for Chavez Media’s continued expansion into communities facing similar challenges.
Chavez Media reaches millions across multiple touchpoints, engaging a multigenerational and multicultural audience through dynamic radio, digital platforms, and live events. Operating across Arizona, California, Nevada, and Georgia, Chavez Media continues to foster a deep sense of community for Latinos and working families. At the heart of this work is Rodríguez, who is helping lead a new era, one shaped by younger audiences committed to combating misinformation and amplifying a new generation of voices.
Watch El Malcriado on YouTube Monday through Friday from Radio Campesina – hit play and join the conversation!
Teachers in the Migrant Education Program create supportive spaces where students strengthen core skills and grow with confidence.
Migrant farm workers often face significant educational barriers, especially due to the disruption caused by seasonal agricultural work, which can leave students falling behind. Cesar Chavez knew this struggle, having attended 36 schools as a migrant farmworker before leaving in the 8th grade. Today, the Chavez Foundation’s Education team seeks to help students through the Migrant Education Program. Established in 1966, the Migrant Education Program remains committed to ensuring migrant students achieve academic success and are prepared for a bright future.
The Cesar Chavez Migrant Education Program, created by the Cesar Chavez Education Fund, serves students from TK through 8th grade with a focus on strengthening literacy, language, and math skills. Tailored to the unique needs of migrant families, the program can be completed in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format. Rooted in Cesar’s core values, the program helps students learn about his legacy while exemplifying the impact they can make. Certified teachers with cultural competence facilitate the program, and a family partnership approach ensures flexible options that meet the community’s needs. With a 93% attendance rate, the program demonstrates strong engagement and success.
Students are encouraged to engage, ask questions, and take pride in learning.
These programs help students achieve academically, boosting their confidence along the way. Our Manager of Programs, Erika Hall, recalls one student in particular who was struggling in school. Through the program, he received support in a targeted small group led by an instructor and gained access to an engaging online platform. Over the course of the program, he grew academically and received an award for achievement in math.
Families served by the program value it for many reasons. Their schedules are often unpredictable, and the program’s flexible hours support student success. The family outreach team offers real-time bilingual support, helps students navigate technical issues, and ensures students stay connected daily when working online. When partnering with districts, the Chavez Foundation team ensures support extends beyond the classroom and looks at families’ unique needs.
The Migrant Education Program builds connection and learning, in person or online.
The program has left a lasting impact on its facilitators and staff. One group of students that made a powerful impression through their enthusiasm and passion for learning came from Atwater, California. Program facilitator Isabel Garrison shared, “They were such a joy to work with and eagerly awaited my arrival on Zoom every single day! They were talkative, enthusiastic, and ready to engage in every lesson. Our SEL sessions sparked meaningful conversations, and it was clear they valued the time we spent together. I will genuinely miss them!”
Time and time again, we have seen that students succeed when their community supports them and they have access to needed resources. Notably, 86% of students in our Education Fund’s Migrant Education Program maintained academic proficiency or showed growth, and 88% achieved their individual goals.
Together with districts and county offices of education, we’re helping students access the tools and resources that fuel their success. Explore how the Education Fund is shaping brighter futures through innovative programs.
Learn more about the Education Fund at chavezfoundation.org/education-fund/.
Cesar Chavez understood the critical role education plays in strengthening communities. In the 1960s, he and his colleagues established the Huelga School in Delano to educate the children of farm workers, enabling them to thrive and providing their children the opportunity to grow, learn, and pursue higher education, something Cesar wholeheartedly encouraged. Today, his vision lives on through the work of the Chavez Foundation.
The Chavez Foundation’s Housing and Economic Development Fund is home to the Community Services team, which works across the Southwest in partnership with residents of our affordable housing communities. Their efforts go beyond providing resources; they create connections through organizing events like holiday celebrations, community meetings, and Know Your Rights workshops. The flagship program Sí Se Puede Learning Center is at the heart of their work, an afterschool program that helps students who may be learning English or struggling with reading and writing. The program has shown a median academic improvement of 35% across the region. These centers offer educational and social support, building confidence and creating a safe space for students to thrive.
Joy and laughter filled the air as kids enjoyed activities at Govea Gardens, one of CCF’s affordable housing communities in Bakersfield, CA.
The Community Service Program Coordinators are vital to this effort, bringing diverse skills to their roles. They are both educators and program leaders. Their creativity and deep understanding of the communities they serve often make them role models to the students they mentor. They tailor lessons and projects to their interests, making learning fun while helping them build academic skills.
Evette Ybarra, a Program Coordinator in Fresno, California, recalls helping a fourth-grade student struggling with multiplication tables. “In just a couple of months, she mastered them with daily practice during homework help time.” Evette shares that many of her returning students show significant academic growth. The program coordinators create a safe and supportive environment where students feel comfortable asking for help, enabling them to thrive academically and personally.
Families in our Montebello affordable housing community received new backpacks during a back-to-school event in Montebello, CA.
The Community Services team significantly impacts the broader community by managing large-scale programs and events that provide essential resources to thousands of students. One key initiative is the annual backpack giveaway, which offers free backpacks filled with school supplies and often includes a back-to-school celebration. Jessica Tomoko, the Regional Program Coordinator for Texas, noted, “Many of our students come from families where buying new supplies can be challenging, so receiving a backpack filled with everything they need makes them feel supported and excited for the year ahead.” Through effective planning and coordination, the Community Services team helps remove barriers to education, giving families peace of mind and equipping children for success.
The Sí Se Puede Learning Centers offer a safe space for students to connect and support each other. With guidance from Community Service and Regional Program Coordinators, students build confidence, achieve academic success, and grow into community leaders. These programs provide the tools and mindset needed to become inspiring leaders of the future.
Our hearts are heavy as we offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jaime Alanís, a farm worker who died from injuries sustained during a recent immigration raid at a California farm. These violent and cruel federal actions continue to terrorize communities across America, threatening lives and tearing families apart.
The United Farm Workers (UFW) confirmed that several farm workers were critically injured during the chaotic raids in Ventura County, California. Many individuals, including U.S. citizens, remain unaccounted for.
“When will our nation treat farm workers with the dignity and respect they deserve? We live in the midst of people who hate and fear us.” These words, spoken by Cesar Chavez more than 50 years ago, continue to ring painfully true amid today’s violence and the growing hate directed at immigrant communities.
What we’re witnessing is a human tragedy unfolding in real time, exactly the kind of harm we feared these raids would cause. These raids must stop immediately.