[Video from the National Women's Law Center]

What participants said about the 2009 conference:

"Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to participate. I hope all our young
women can somehow be affected by the inspiration held in this conference."

"... thank you for putting together such a wonderful conference for the Latina girls of the DuPage area. I know that the women of AAUW worked very hard to put this together and in turn, the conference was a success! I couldn’t believe the genuine interest, energy, and support that was radiating through out the day."

"... thanks to you and your staff of dedicated women for all of their hard work, enthusiasm, and passion that went into making this such a special conference for our students and their moms. This conference brought a great sense of pride to our students.
Positive Latina role models are under-represented in the lives of many of our students. This conference made the girls realize that they can dare to dream and are just as talented as anyone else. They can raise the bar on the things they can accomplish. The sky's the limit when they believe in themselves then take the initiative to act...
I too am a Latino and have tried to instill in my students the importance of taking pride in all that they do, having excellent work ethic and making a positive difference in the lives of other people using their many talents...Thanks again for a great, spiritually uplifting conference."

"When Irma Gonzalez-Clark asked the girls - about 180 altogether - what they had learned, hands shot up in the air and answers came in rapid-fire:
'Believe in yourself.' 'Never give up!' 'Don't let anyone tell you 'no' because you're Hispanic.' "

- from Young Latinas are encouraged to get an education
(Exhortan a las latinas jóvenes a obtener una educación), by Elena Ferrarin, Reflejos, April 12, 2009

Why is this conference important?

• High absentee rate for middle school Latinas
• High drop out rate in high school:
  The Hispanic girls' drop out rate is more than four times higher than that of non-Hispanic white peers.
• Low college enrollment for Latinas

The Dare to Dream conference was sponsored by the AAUW Education Foundation, AAUW-Illinois, Inc, several AAUW branches (Elmhurst, Lombard Area, Downers Grove, Naperville, and Wheaton-Glen Ellyn), Elmhurst College, the DuPage Regional Office of Education, DuPage Community Foundation, and local businesses.