For Immediate Release: June 27, 2023
Hispanic Summer Program
100 E. 27th Street | Austin, Texas 78705
Jrodriguez[at]hispanicsummerprogram.org
Hispanic Summer Program to Benefit from $4.3 Million Lilly Endowment Grant
Grant To Support Capacity Building Projects
Including New Undergraduate and Scholarly Initiatives
Austin, TX: The Hispanic Summer Program (HSP), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the development of Latinx Theological Leaders, announced it would benefit from a $4.3 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary will support the HSP’s growth and sustainability for half a decade and launch new undergraduate and scholarly initiatives.
In 2020, a $1.8 million Lilly Endowment grant enabled the HSP, in partnership with Union Theological Seminary, to grow from a part-time staff with only two summer programs to a robust nonprofit with three full-time and five part-time staff, eight year-round programmatic offerings, an alumni network, over 40 sponsoring schools, and a quasi-endowment.
Through this new grant, the HSP will continue its mission of developing Latinx Theological Leaders by:
- Launching HSP for Undergrads, a credit-granting program for undergraduate students discerning graduate-level studies;
- Hosting the Latinidad in the Context of Theological Education Summit to produce public materials on Latinidad and theological education;
- Expanding the HSP Fellows Program which will now hire Early Career Professionals alongside Latinx Masters students to gain tools in non-profit management while supporting the work of the HSP;
- Creating Through Hispanic Eyes @, an initiative that will equip graduate-level faculty with tools to better serve Latinx populations over the course of a semester;
- Expanding the HSP Pedagogy Workshop to equip Latinx faculty with teaching tools for graduate courses across multiple modalities.
In addition to these exciting new opportunities, the HSP will continue highly acclaimed programs like the HSP Summer Session, HSP J-Term, Latinx Discernment Workshop, HSP Exchange, and El Semillero Workshop on Finance, Fundraising, and Development which is made possible through a partnership with the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving.
The HSP is excited to come alongside Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary for this next phase of service. APTS’s proximity to the U.S.-Mexico Border, its location in a Hispanic-majority State, and the fact that their President, The Rev. Dr. José R. Irizarry, formerly served as Executive Director of the Hispanic Summer Program makes this institution a natural fit for the organization’s next stage of growth.
Recognizing their continued sponsorship and support, The HSP remains profoundly grateful to Union Theological Seminary. About the transition, the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary, stated, “It has been a great honor and privilege to have HSP at Union for these past years and to watch it grow and flourish under the exceptional leadership of Dr. Machado. We cheer HSP along as it moves into its next phase, guided by its strong mission and by the future that beckons it ever forward! Godspeed!”
This grant will open new avenues for the HSP and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. As the Rev. Dr. Daisy L. Machado, Executive Director of the Hispanic Summer Program, stated, “There is much to celebrate as the HSP begins this new phase of work and programming. Thankful for Union Theological Seminary’s support through the first grant, we now move forward with our new collaborators at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary with much joy and anticipation.”
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About the HSP: Founded in 1989, the Hispanic Summer Program seeks to shape the next generation of Latinx theological and academic leaders. Through our distinct programming, we work to shift the discourse on Latinidad in theology, in higher education, and within the active ministries and communities led by our alumni and touched by our faculty. We do this by raising up a uniquely Latinx perspective, lifting up the often unheeded views of the Latinx community, and centering the conversation with distinctly Latinx voices.
In our 30+ year history, the HSP has taught over 1,800 seminarians and graduate students of religion, provided training for over 150 non-Latinx faculty and administrators, and contributed to the development of countless Latinx clergy, community organizers, and faculty. We have significantly expanded and enriched the theological education being offered at seminaries and universities across the country with academic courses and high-level programs that directly address Latinx history, ministry, and theology. Our goal is nothing less than to create a new future for the Latinx community by shaping a new vision for its Latinx leadership.
