What is the Your Words Today Campaign about?
What is the message of the Campaign?
Where and when will we see the Your Words Today Campaign?
What are some of the important things parents will learn from the Campaign?
What is in the DVD?
How can parents order the DVD?
What language will be used in the Campaign?
Who else do you want the Campaign to reach?

Q: What is the Your Words Today Campaign about?

A: Research conducted over the years by the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) and other institutions confirmed that parents play a critical role in their children's education. However, while many Latino parents recognize the importance of college for their children, most don't have the knowledge and tools to help. In fact, many Latino parents believe that college is out of reach for their children because it is too expensive. This campaign was created to overcome those barriers so we can get more Latino children into college.

Q: What is the message of the Campaign?

A: The message for parents is that they are instrumental in helping their child go to college. The campaign slogan is "De tus palabras de hoy depende su mañana," or "Their tomorrow depends on your words today." In other words, parents' encouraging words will help their children aspire to a college education. Because parent involvement is critical, we want to inspire parents to learn about the types of colleges and the financial aid available to them. We hope to inspire parents to take a more active role in their children's education.

The secondary message is that college is achievable for their children. While it may seem out of reach because of the cost, the reality is that billions of dollars in financial aid are available to qualifying students. HSF supports parents and students by providing them with the guidance and tools they need to make informed decisions about the path to college and the financial aid process.

View the PSAs below, and click here to learn more

Q: Where and when will we see the Your Words Today Campaign?

A: The Campaign will launch nationally on April 27, 2010. Working with the Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org), we have developed public service announcements for radio, TV, and online media to promote the Campaign. Print and outdoor PSAs will be soon to follow in the summer of 2010. There's also a new website (www.yourwordstoday.org) and a free DVD toolkit that provides useful information for parents to explain how to apply and pay for college.

Q: What are some of the important things parents will learn from the Campaign?

A: The campaign emphasizes the positive impact that a college education can have on someone's life. But to get a child into college, parents need to help in many ways. Most importantly, they need to show their child that they are committed by learning about the process. That's the focus of the Campaign, to give parents the information and tools to help guide their child through the often complicated steps of preparing and applying to college. Our DVD and website give parents a good step-by-step overview of the process, and provide other resources that have more in-depth information.

Q: What is in the DVD?

A: The DVD is free and is a bilingual parental toolkit that features the following content:  introductions by Target and Univision anchor Maria Elena Salinas, and inspirational novelas about parents and students who have made their college dreams a reality. Short versions of the soap operas can be viewed on the www.yourwordstoday.org website. It also includes a tutorial for parents on these topics: About College, Preparing for College, and Paying for College. Content on the DVD can also be downloaded from the Campaign website www.yourwordstoday.org .

Q: How can parents order the DVD?

A: They can order it from our website at www.yourwordstoday.org (English) / www.tuspalabrasdehoy.org (Spanish), or by phone at 1-877-HSF-8711.

Q: What language will be used in the Campaign?

A: All of the Campaign elements will be in both Spanish and English. We also want to reach students who may want to share this information with their Spanish-speaking parents.

Q: Who else do you want the Campaign to reach? 

A: HSF aspires to send a message to Latino communities across the country that educating children for college is one of the most important ways to have a better future and to strengthen America. The fact that there are approximately 45.5 million Latinos living in the U.S. today, or approximately 15% of the U.S. population, means that Latinos constitute a vital demographic that can contribute positively to tomorrow's workforce.