Cleveland Job Corps Center Club ESPERANZA students attended the 42nd Annual Puerto Rican Parade & Latino Festival. On August 4, 2019, twenty-nine Club ESPERANZA students participated in the Parade. The 3-day event celebrates Latinos and their culture.

Fourteen students rode on two floats in costume, the other fifteen students along with four staff members marched in the Parade. During the festival, students rotated between manning the informational table, reaching out to attendees about the Job Corps program within the crowds, and enjoying the festivities. They handed out flyers and collected 35 potential leads from young adults interested in Job Corps. 

Seven students joined the Cleveland Hispanic Police Officers Organization and Parade committee members on August 3, 2019, to volunteer and set up at the Roberto Clemente Park. They cleaned up the park grounds, set up tables, and fenced in sections around vendor booths. Volunteer Committee member and Investigator for the Dept. of Labor in Cleveland, Nebraska Aviles led the team of volunteers.

Thanks to Nebraska’s invitation for Club ESPERANZA students to participate, they were able to enjoy the amazing foods, musical performances and shows; collect information from agencies representatives; mingle with a multicultural crowd; and have FUN while gaining valuable transferable skills for life.