The U.S. Department of Education just gave Broward County Public Schools an ultimatum: cancel the popular Latinos in Action leadership course or lose $30 million in federal funding. Now, students across 46 Broward schools—many of them Hispanic—are losing access to a program that’s helped them build confidence, pursue college dreams, and give back to their communities.

This is a devastating blow to a generation of young leaders. And it didn’t have to be this way.

Latinos in Action isn’t about excluding others—it’s about empowering students who too often fall through the cracks of traditional leadership pipelines. In fact, students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds have taken the course and benefited from it. Canceling the program punishes everyone, especially the students who need this support the most.

If the concern is inclusion, the solution shouldn’t be to shut down an entire program that works. The solution should be to expand it—to ensure that any student who wants to develop leadership skills, participate in service projects, and prepare for college and career has access, regardless of race or ethnicity.

We’re calling on Superintendent Howard Hepburn, the Broward County School Board, and the U.S. Department of Education to reverse this decision. Work together to make Latinos in Action available to all interested students, rather than eliminate a program that’s already changing lives.

Don't take away this opportunity from thousands of students. Expand it. Strengthen it. And keep Broward’s commitment to equity, empowerment, and educational excellence alive.

Sign this petition to demand Broward County Public Schools and the U.S. Department of Education restore—and expand—Latinos in Action.