The Aspen Institute will now be offering a scholarship program to increase Latin participation.

The scholarship will be named after Ricardo Salinas, the president and founder of Mexico's Grupo Salinas and a member of the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees, according to a press release.

Named the Ricardo Salinas Scholarship Fund, the scholarship's goal is to increase Latino and Latin American participation in Aspen Institute programs. The scholarship is part of the Latinos and Society program and is an intiative designed to increase awareness of the growing Latino Community and focus on its critical importance to the future success of America.

"Working with the Aspen Institute has encouraged and inspired me to think about the critical issues facing our society in new ways," said Salinas. "I am proud to be part of the Institute's efforts to ensure more Latinos and Latin Americans are able to contribute to and benefit from these important discussions and leadership initiatives."

The Ricardo Salinas Scholarship Selection Committee meets twice per year to decide where funds should go for the program and who should receive scholarships. Candidates who show a financial need and programs that increase Latin and Latino participation will be given preference in receiving the scholarships.

"Ricardo's generous contribution will not only expand the horizons of scholarship recipients, but will also enrich the experience for all participants and programs at the Aspen Institute," Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, said. "We are grateful for this opportunity to improve our programming by augmenting Latino and Latin American participation."

There are several opportunities open to this scholarship.

One program encourages high school students to write graphic novels. A writer's workshop with a teaching artist will help 20 students through the process of writing a graphic novel.

The Aspen Seminar on Leadership, Values and the Good Society is Aspen Insitute's leadership seminar. It is known as the "anchor" of the Institute's global leadership fellowship program.

The Socrates Program offers a forum for people from all different professions to come together and explore issues through a expert-moderated forum. It is focused on emerging leaders ages 28-45.

For more information on the Aspen Institute, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

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