Telemundo Media Launches 2013-2014 “El Poder De Saber” Campaign; Celebrating Ten Years of Promoting Educational Advancement of Young Latinos

Telemundo Media announced today the launch of the network’s 2013-2014 edition of “El Poder de Saber” (The Power of Knowing), its signature multiplatform education initiative that promotes the educational advancement of young Latinos with an emphasis on preventing high school drop-outs. In association with its parent company Comcast/NBCUniversal, the ten-year-old campaign aims to empower and make a difference in the daily lives of U.S. Hispanic families in partnership with distinguished organizations including City Year, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. The year-long campaign will consist of on-air public service announcements starring top Telemundo talent and will feature Telemundo’s news reporter Vanessa Hauc, as its official spokesperson, coupled with education news stories from a team of local “El Poder de Saber” reporters. This year’s efforts also will include the distribution of thousands of backpacks to disadvantaged youth this summer and fall through local Telemundo stations in key markets. In solidarity with NBC News’ education initiative “Education Nation” in the fall, Telemundo Media will commemorate “Education Week” across its platforms with coverage of the challenges and success stories of Hispanics navigating the education system in the U.S. On the Web (www.telemundo/elpoderdesaber) users can access education-related resources, including links to local station and partner sites, and view the PSAs on demand.

“Telemundo Media is committed to empowering Hispanics and providing them information to enrich their lives and help them play an active role in our society,” said Emilio Romano, President, Telemundo Media. “Education is a critical factor in preparing our youth for future success. We are proud to launch the tenth edition of ‘El Poder de Saber’ and leverage every platform of our company to support students and their parents with the necessary tools and resources to help them fulfill their dreams.”

Telemundo will partner for the first time with City Year, a national organization that unites young people for a year of service in high need schools, to serve as tutors, mentors, and role models for at risk students. Telemundo also will continue its strong association with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), and, for the third year, Telemundo’s “El Poder de Saber” will join with NBC News’ “Education Nation” in its efforts to facilitate solutions-focused discussions among policymakers, elected officials, thought leaders, educators, members of the business community and engaged citizens.

The elements of Telemundo’s 2013-2014 “El Poder de Saber” campaign include:

• Public service announcements featuring top Telemundo talent including the renowned sports anchor Andres Cantor; the veteran journalist Carmen Dominicci; Guadalupe Venegas, the popular VJ from mun2, Telemundo’s cable network for Latino youth; and top novela stars Jorge Luis Pila and Maritza Rodriguez. The messages, directed to students and their parents, stress the necessity of strengthening their command of the English language, the importance of parental involvement in their child’s education, and a reminder to students that staying in school is a better investment than dropping out in order to help support the family.
• The distribution of thousands of Telemundo/El Poder de Saber backpacks to children in six key Hispanic markets in collaboration with Telemundo local stations and community organizations in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, Houston and Dallas.
• Coinciding with NBC News’ “Education Nation” events in the fall in New York City, Telemundo network and stations will commemorate “Education Week” with special reports on the challenges and success stories of Hispanics navigating the education system in the U.S. Leading this coverage will be Telemundo’s news reporter, Vanessa Hauc, along with reporters from Telemundo stations, including Dunia Elvir in Los Angeles; Jorge Ramos in New York; Alba Mendiola in Chicago; Ana Cuervo in Miami; Antonio Hernandez in Houston; Patricia Batres in Phoenix and Tucson; Tamara Centeno in San Jose and Rosana Romero in Las Vegas, among others. Expanding the reach of “Education Week” across the network and stations will be content in the daily network morning show “Un Nuevo Dia;” the network news and entertainment show “Al Rojo Vivo con Maria Celeste;” the local news and entertainment show “Acceso Total;” the nightly network news program “Noticiero Telemundo;” and the network and local editions of the public affairs program “Enfoque.”

• City Year Corp Members will assist in the execution of Telemundo’s backpack giveaway in the summer and City Year representatives will serve as experts for education-related coverage on Telemundo news and public affairs programs throughout the year.
• Telemundo’s “El Poder de Saber” will join Comcast/NBCUniversal, its parent company, in supporting LULAC’s community technology centers nationwide. Through 59 centers in 25 states, LULAC is fulfilling its mission to Empower Hispanic America with Technology – advancing education, careers and quality of life through access to technology. Comcast’s “Internet Essentials” has helped connect more than 150,000 low-income families (600,000 Americans) to the Internet.
• Under the “CHCI/El Poder de Saber Scholars” program, Telemundo will continue to award $25,000 in scholarships and provide internships to deserving students across the nation.
• mun2, Telemundo’s cable network for young Latinos, through its own pro-social initiative called “mun2unidos,” will work in tandem on-air, online and onsite with City Year to recruit college-bound students as City Year Corp Members.
• At www.telemundo.com/elpoderdesaber, users will have access to informational resources, links to partner organizations and Telemundo local station sites, as well as “El Poder de Saber” PSAs and special content from the “El Poder de Saber” team of reporters, available on demand.

“Telemundo has demonstrated a true commitment to improving education for the Hispanic community, and we are honored that they recognize the positive impact City Year corps members have on students and schools in high-need urban areas,” said Gillian Smith, Chief Marketing Officer for City Year. “We are very excited to partner with Telemundo on their ‘El Poder de Saber’ initiative, as they leverage their powerful platforms to drive impact.”

“LULAC is proud to support Telemundo’s public service campaign, ‘El Poder de Saber’ which provides information and empowers the Hispanic community on critical resources and on the powerful role that education plays in a young person’s life,” said LULAC National President Margaret Moran. “In order to make sure that the influence of the Hispanic community continues to grow we must support our young people’s pursuit of educational empowerment. Ensuring that the next generation of leaders is adequately prepared is vitally important to LULAC and we support Telemundo’s efforts to ensure the same.”

“CHCI is proud to continue its groundbreaking partnership with Telemundo through the CHCI/El Poder de Saber Scholars Program,” said Esther Aguilera, CHCI President & CEO. “This creative and unique program provides life changing opportunities for Latino youth who not only receive financial aid to support their higher education goals but also obtain hands-on experience in the broadcast arena. We are collectively creating a pipeline of future leaders and we thank Telemundo for its ongoing commitment to education.”

Telemundo Media benefits from the unequivocal backing and extensive resources of its parent company, Comcast/NBCUniversal, which subscribes to the belief that the power of partnership and diversity, coupled with its media and distribution resources, can bring visibility to important issues, connect people together, and spur positive and substantive change in all of the communities it serves.

According to the Pew Research Center, Hispanic high school dropout rates have declined by nearly 50 percent since 2000. Yet, there is still work to be done: young Hispanic college students are less likely than their white counterparts to enroll in a four-year college, less likely to be enrolled in college full time, and less likely to complete a bachelor’s degree.*

*Source: “Hispanic High School Graduates Pass Whites in Rate of College Enrollment,” Pew Hispanic Research Center, 2013.

About Telemundo:

Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal, is a world-class media company, leading the industry in the production and distribution of high-quality Spanish-language content across its multiplatform portfolio to U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. Telemundo’s multiple platforms include the Telemundo Network, a Spanish-language television network featuring original productions, theatrical motion pictures, news and first-class sports events, reaching U.S. Hispanic viewers in 210 markets through its 14 owned stations and its broadcast and cable affiliates; mun2, the preeminent voice for bicultural Hispanics in the U.S. reaching TV households nationwide on digital and analog cable, and satellite; Telemundo Digital Media, which distributes Telemundo’s original content across digital and emerging platforms including mobile devices, www.telemundo.com and www.mun2.tv; an owned and operated full power station in Puerto Rico that reaches 99% of all TV households in that DMA; and Telemundo Internacional, the international distribution arm which has positioned Telemundo as the second largest provider of Spanish-language content worldwide by syndicating content to more than 100 countries in over 35 languages.

About City Year:

City Year is an education-focused, nonprofit organization founded in 1988 that partners with public schools to provide full-time targeted intervention for students most at risk of dropping out. In more than 20 communities across the United States and through two international affiliates, our teams of young AmeriCorps leaders support students by focusing on attendance, behavior, and course performance through in-class tutoring, mentoring, and after school programs that keep kids in school and on track to graduate.

About LULAC:

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 900 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org.

About CHCI:

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a nonprofit and nonpartisan 501(c) (3) organization, provides leadership development programs and educational services to students and young emerging leaders. The CHCI Board of Directors is comprised of Hispanic members of Congress, nonprofit, union, and corporate leaders. For more information call CHCI at (202) 543-1771, visit www.chci.org, or join us on Facebook, Twitter (@chci), and LinkedIn.