Mission
Masa partners with Mexican and Latino children, youth, and families in the South Bronx to develop strong learners and leaders who fully contribute to the larger community. Our Approach
Masa’s community-led, integrated model engages the entire family, grounded in a deep commitment to strengthening literacy, leadership, and power for Mexican, Central American, and Indigenous People. Masa fos
ters a culturally responsive learning community in which families engage with direct service and advocacy programs to dismantle barriers to success. Our Programs
Learn Together
• EARLY CHILDHOOD AND K-12 EDUCATION
Masa supports children academically through each stage of their development. Our culturally fluent education programs improve literacy and academic skills, and support students in becoming critically conscious thinkers ready to lead.
==> Pre-K Playgroup • Parent-Child Plus Early Literacy Program • Afterschool Program • Literacy Intensive Program • Science and Robotics Program • Alianza Program
• FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Masa celebrates and harnesses the strengths of parents in our community. In partnership with families, we develop programs to share knowledge and tools that help families maintain stability, support child development, and navigate complex systems and service providers.
==> Adult ESL and Digital Literacy Courses • Parent Workshops • Legal and Service Referrals/Case Management
Lead Together
• LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Masa provides a safe space for self-reflection and learning in community, building on and centering cultural strengths. Families come together to develop leadership skills, as well as share feedback to inform program development and guide Masa’s strategic direction.
==> Community Education Workshops • Parent Leadership Courses • Youth and Parent Program Development Committees • Las Adelitas Young Women’s Action Group
• COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
Masa mobilizes civic action to promote equitable, culturally responsive education, fight for immigrant rights, and build community power. Youth and parents organize locally and support coalitions and campaigns that challenge systemic oppression.
==> Masa Padres en Acción Parent Organizing Group (MPEA) • Youth Organizing Projects • Immigration and Education Advocacy • Community Forums
The Need:
• Mexicans, one of NYC’s fastest-growing populations, face severe barriers to educational attainment. There are an estimated 500,000 Mexican immigrants currently living in NYC. Research shows that, among Latino youth, Mexicans have by far the lowest rates of school enrollment (37%). Poverty, undocumented status, systemic bias, and schools ill-equipped to support immigrant students contribute to these outcomes. Masa targets Mexican, Central American, and Indigenous families in the South Bronx, where 49% of children live in poverty, and just two-fifths of third-graders read at grade level – far below the citywide average (51%).
• Early childhood education matters for lifelong outcomes. Masa’s academic programs start with children as young as 18 months. Research shows that early engagement helps keep students on track for graduation and future success. The data is clear: students who do not read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers. In 2017, 79% of Latino fourth-graders scored “below proficient” on a national reading test. One-third of children who are poor, living in areas of concentrated poverty like the South Bronx, and are not reading proficiently by third grade do not graduate from high school on time.
• Advocacy builds community power and promotes systemic change. Masa is organized and ready to respond to systemic injustices that block access to opportunities. Our families, volunteers, staff, and partners won’t stand by as Mexican youth have among the lowest rates of educational attainment in New York City. We see how poverty, under-resourced schools, unsafe housing conditions, and immigration status affects educational goals, family stability, and economic security. We recognize that our community’s combined strengths, cultural assets, and collective action provide a pathway to reclaiming our value and power as a community.
