Scholarship and Mentorship Program

We believe everyone deserves an opportunity and education is the door that opens the world.  The Latitude Foundation supports students from kindergarten through university level by providing scholarships to cover educational expenses.

Unlike many university scholarship programs, ours requires that students agree to fund scholarships in the amount of 50% of the scholarships they have received, and they have to do so within 5 years of graduation. This, we believe, leads to cultural empowerment and allows for the scholarship recipients to become future leaders of the foundation.

Scholarship program director Maricela Campo brings a sense of cultural pride, responsibility and connection to the program. Providing mentorship and guidance to students of all ages, Maricela strives to provide the support necessary to help our scholarship students succeed. Like Max, she believes strongly in the power of education and its ability to stop intergenerational poverty.

Language Classes

Max is a seasoned teacher of both English and Spanish, and finds his calling in the classroom. He excels at teaching the ins and outs of grammar in a refreshing way. We welcome volunteers who have ESL experience, or those who are willing to learn. 

Mental Health Care

Erika Pila joined the Latitude team in 2021 as a clinical pyschologist. She works with each of our scholars, as well as members of their families who are seek or are advised to consider therapy.  Her addition to our team has been overwhelmingly positive, and serves as a step toward normalizing mental health services.

Medical Grants

In an area where medical needs can lead to crippling indebtedness, many people avoid seeking treatment for both acute and chronic health issues. The Latitude Foundation provides medical grants to help with the high cost of these services. 

Hardship Grants

Sometimes, local families are facing some sort of personal hardship that forces them to seek assistance. Often, locals go to bank to get very high interest loans. We know how this can set back a family of few resources, and we are able to help offset costs for the family or individual while they’re getting on their feet. When the economy was impacted by a global pandemic, Latitude was able to respond with cash in hand for folks suffering from lack of employment or a change in tourism—a sector on which the majority of our families depend.                

We are excited to watch all of our programs take shape. If you’re interested in being involved or supporting our efforts, please feel free to contact us to see what impact you are able to have. We greatly appreciate donations to help us fund our projects, though all of our administrative costs are already covered.