Puente’s mission is to increase the number of educationally underrepresented students who enroll in four-year colleges and universities, earn college degrees and return to the community as mentors and leaders to future generations.
Since 1981, the Puente Project has led the state in providing equitable instruction, academic counseling, and mentoring to support students marginalized by the educational system. In order to continue Puente’s legacy of equity, we must address the roots of oppression that persist in academia and embody practices for our collective liberation. Therefore, the Puente Project strives to: (1) uphold anti-racist practices in our classrooms and advocate for the rights of all to safety and protection on our campuses and in our communities, (2) honor all languages and make space for diverse linguistic expression in academic writing, (3) support the intersectional experiences of LGBTQIA+ students and educators and their right to feel safe and welcomed, (4) work towards accessibility as the default practice and priority in our Puente spaces, and (5) act and educate in the service of environmental justice. The Puente Project commits to supporting staff and practitioners in their work towards the collective wellness of our community as we progress along our equity journey.
Source: The Shortened Version
