Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago, will be among those exploring the challenges and opportunities posed by growing numbers of Latino students in Chicago’s educational community at a symposium from noon to 5:30 p.m. April 3 in DePaul University’s Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 120, Chicago.

“This high concentration of Latino students in the Chicago metro area poses unique regional challenges for addressing the educational needs of school-age children, particularly when it comes to English-language learning,” said Sonia Soltero, one of the symposium’s organizers and an associate professor and director of the bilingual-bicultural education program at DePaul’s School of Education.

Cardinal George will discuss “Education and Respect for Latino Identity.” He will explore how the Catholic Church meets the educational needs of Latinos, its renewed sense of vocation to serve immigrants and economically struggling people, and its fervent desire to collaborate with others to address the educational advancement of Latinas and Latinos.

In addition to serving as the eighth archbishop of Chicago since 1997, George is currently president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A native Chicagoan, he is an experienced educator who once chaired the philosophy department at Creighton University, a Catholic university in Omaha, Neb. His expertise on the impact of globalization on politics and his global experience in the Catholic Church give him unique insights on the topic.

“The changing demographics of the Chicago metropolitan area present all stakeholders in education with the opportunity for an examination of the social, civic, cultural, linguistic, economic, spiritual and political context of immigrants from Latin America, and for establishing new bonds of relationship and mutual commitment,” said Peter Casarella, professor of Catholic studies and director of the DePaul Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology. “This initial symposium – the first in what is expected to be a series of annual events – will turn its attention to the possibilities that increasing numbers of Latino students offer to the Chicago educational community, not only in terms of language but also in other forms of social capital such as hard work, religious and ethical values, and hospitality.”

The Chicago metropolitan area has one of the largest, most diverse and fastest-growing populations of students of Latino descent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With a population of about 10 million people, 17 percent are Latino, the Census Bureau reports. Chicago’s population of 2.7 million people includes 810,000 Latinos. Of the 430,000 students the Chicago Public Schools educates, 38 percent of them come from Latino backgrounds.

Also speaking will be Virginia Gonzalez, professor of education at the University of Cincinnati, who will discuss “An Ethnic Educator from Research to Practice Approach to Advocate for Latino Students’ Education.” The conference also includes breakout sessions on perspectives on Latinos and education and an interactive panel discussion.

Gonzalez will discuss advocacy for social justice and celebration of the cultural and linguistic diversity in Latino students. Her field of expertise is bilingual education and focuses on developing research models to explain cognitive and linguistic development in Latino students who have learned English as a second language. These models have implications in assessment, learning processes and instructional programs. She has published numerous books and journal articles on these subjects.

The symposium is free for participants from DePaul and other sponsoring organizations, but registration is required. The fee for others is $20. For more information or to register for the symposium, visit http://condor.depaul.edu/~srogg/BondsOfSolidarity.htm or contact Desiree Roman at droman1@depaul.edu.

DePaul has one of the largest schools of education in the Chicago area, offering degree programs in early childhood education; elementary and secondary education and physical education; special education; bilingual/bicultural education; curriculum studies; educational leadership; human services and counseling; and language, literacy and specialized instruction.