When exceedingly high drop-out rates peaked as educational achievements were at an all-time low among Puerto Rican and Latino youth, a group formed with the mission of offering the community opportunities that would promote development, encourage empowerment, educational advancement, and deliverance from poverty. ASPIRA, which means “aspire” in Spanish, is the name of the organization, founded by Dr. Antonia Pantoja and a group of Puerto Rican educators and professionals in 1961.
