CNC Educational Institutes
The Little Havana Institute and the Hialeah Institute are two alternative schools funded by Miami-Dade County Public Schools and administered by CNC.
The schools serve students in grades 9 – 12, who have had difficulties adapting to the traditional school environment and are at-risk of dropping out of school.
Students enrolled at the Little Havana Institute and Hialeah Institute, receive the same curriculum approved by Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Next Generation Sunshine State Standards, are subject to the same academic requirements, and upon graduation receive a regular high school diploma.
At both institutions, we serve students from all nationalities and ethnic groups. Since 1987, CNC has graduated 465 students.
Summer Internship Program
Each year, CNC offers paid internships to eligible Hispanic college students. Selection is based on the student’s financial eligibility, interest in developing technical/professional skills, and personal interviews.
CNC identifies internship opportunities among businesses that are Hispanic owned, or that have a strong presence of Cuban Americans and/or Hispanics at the managerial or supervisory level.
ALPHA Youth Program
The Alpha Program provides candidates, both in and out of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, with career assessment and counseling, case management, employment opportunities and supportive services. After school activities are also provided to help them succeed in school, enter a post-secondary training environment preparing to enter the workforce.
The program enrolls youth, 14-21 years old, most of whom are low-income, dropouts, or at risk of dropping out, and who experience problems to either stay in school or transition into adult roles.
Hispanic Leadership Training Program for High School Students
The Hispanic Leadership Training Program (HLTP) aims at providing comprehensive leadership skills to high school students with a demonstrated interested in community involvement. The program offers young Hispanic male and female students in 11th and12th grades, the opportunity to attend these workshops which cover a variety of topics such as:
- Community Issue Identification
- Media Relations
- Government Functioning
- Decision Making Processes
- Networking
- Business Voluntarism
- Fundraising Skills
The CNC Youth Entrepreneurship Program for At-Risk Youth
CNC’s Youth Entrepreneurship Program for At-Risk Youth is a school year program where students navigate through a variety of lessons including the concepts of competitive advantage, ownership, opportunity recognition, marketing, finance, and product development – all tying back to core math and literacy skills.
During the first semester, the students come up with an idea for a business and work throughout the course to prepare a business plan which they present and defend to a panel of judges for a first, second and third prize award. During the second semester, students will work as a group for the development of a business plan activity in the creation of a product. The product is an Art and Talent Competition Event. The activity includes the opportunity to explore different career paths, to learn basic principles of different Micro Soft office software applications, to work in teams, to set, reach and achieve goals and to express themselves. Program Flyers, tickets and any marketing materials will be developed by the students and produced in-house.
The NBC Universal Foundation and Comcast Foundation’s funding support is the difference between success and failure for many of the participating students. Students receiving entrepreneurial training have been found to have significantly higher motivation to achieve, higher self-esteem, are more innovative, have more personal control and higher achievement motivation.
