Education at the heart of mission
At Venezuela’s Voice in Oregon, we recognize that education is a universal bridge that connects people across cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. While we focus on supporting Venezuelans, our programs are designed to empower all individuals and families in our diverse community. By fostering learning opportunities that are accessible, culturally relevant, and inclusive, we help participants grow academically, socially, and personally, while strengthening connections across communities.
Historically, Venezuela was one of the highest-educated countries in Latin America. In 2014 when the effects of the economic and humanitarian crisis began to show, Venezuela started to experience a brain drain in which highly educated and skilled Venezuelans emigrated to neighboring countries as well as the U.S.
In a study titled "Venezolana Community Abroad: A New Method of Exile" by Thomas Páez, Mercedes Vivas, and Juan Rafael Pulido of the Central University of Venezuela, over 1.5 million Venezuelans, between 4% and 6% of Venezuela's population, left the country following the Bolivarian Revolution; more than 90% of those who left were college graduates, with 40% of them holding a Master's degree and 12% having doctorates and/or post doctorates.
At Venezuela’s Voice in Oregon, education is the cornerstone of our mission. We believe learning is a powerful tool for cultural preservation, community integration, and the advancement of equity. Through creative and accessible programming, we support families, elevate heritage, and build meaningful cross-cultural connections.
Historically, Venezuela was one of the highest-educated countries in Latin America. In 2014 when the effects of the economic and humanitarian crisis began to show, Venezuela started to experience a brain drain in which highly educated and skilled Venezuelans emigrated to neighboring countries as well as the U.S.
In a study titled "Venezolana Community Abroad: A New Method of Exile" by Thomas Páez, Mercedes Vivas, and Juan Rafael Pulido of the Central University of Venezuela, over 1.5 million Venezuelans, between 4% and 6% of Venezuela's population, left the country following the Bolivarian Revolution; more than 90% of those who left were college graduates, with 40% of them holding a Master's degree and 12% having doctorates and/or post doctorates.
At Venezuela’s Voice in Oregon, education is the cornerstone of our mission. We believe learning is a powerful tool for cultural preservation, community integration, and the advancement of equity. Through creative and accessible programming, we support families, elevate heritage, and build meaningful cross-cultural connections.
Our educational initiatives in Oregon
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Our educational programs are designed for Spanish speakers of all nationalities, as well as for anyone who speaks Spanish regardless of their background. Our educational initiatives are a multicultural and bilingual space (when needed), open to anyone interested in learning and sharing. Our workshops and scholarship recipients have included people from Mexico, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia, Haiti, and more.
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Our flagship scholarship program provides scholarships for women of Latin American descent. Through our collaboration with the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, we support eligible Latino women in accessing scholarships for university studies—empowering future leaders to pursue academic and professional excellence. Since 2017, our organization has donated $21,000 towards the Latino/Hispanic College Student Scholarship. Our scholarships have supported several Latina women living in Oregon. See photos of some of the recipients.
Some of our current partners and nonprofits in Oregon connected to our educational mission include: Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, Kickingball PDX, Loco por la Aventura, and U.S. Bank, among others. For more information, email us: [email protected] |
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Our educational initiatives in Venezuela
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We continually support a professional group of students that annually participate in an intercollegiate design competition run by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). In the competition, Baja SAE, a team from the Universidad Simón Bolivar (in Caracas), build small off-road cars and compete against international teams of students. They have traveled to Washington and New York states to compete for 4 years.
2015-2024: $5,500 total to Baja SAE |
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Relevo Venezuela is a non-profit that has worked for the past five years closely with the community in El Hatillo (a suburb of Caracas) offering Saturday classes to more than 150 young people studying for their baccalaureate, in order to reinforce their studies and, especially, prepare them to enter university. Relevo Venezuela has been able to become a civil association, allowing them to build bridges and alliances with many and more people who believe, like Relevo, that training is the main engine of progress and growth of the human being.
2020-2021: $2,300 total to Relevo Venezuela |
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ACOFIM, a community organization in Maracay, has been our partner for quite some time. Since 2022, we have supported their educational programs by donating towards their Youth Workshops and Entrepreneurial Workshops for Women. The program for youth promotes creativity and personal development, and the program for female entrepreneurs teaches them leadership, administrative, and financial planning skills.
2022-2025: $4,900 total to ACOFIM |