SOURCE: McDonald’s Corporation
CHICAGO, November 16, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — McDonald’s is proud to offer its 2020 DO® Education Tour 2020 virtually to provide thousands of Hispanic students, parents, and educators with useful information to navigate the college admission application process amid financial hardship and limited access to resources they may face as a result of the pandemic. Having started in October, the workshops continue this month with student sessions, presented by the writer and actress of “Gentefied,” Julissa Calderon. The Tour will culminate with a session for students and parents on November 21.
By offering the workshops in digital format, it is estimated that more than 70,000 students will participate in the tour, an increase of 400% compared to the 14,000 participants of 2019. Because many Hispanic students are the first generation of their family to consider higher education, this expansion makes it possible to make an even greater impact among these students, who will receive financial aid information, writing workshops, and more during each session.
“Given the great uncertainty about the possibility of continuing their studies in the midst of the current situation, students now more than ever need resources to help them navigate the college application process,” said Santiago Negre, judge of the DO®, Illinois Owner/Operator scholarship committee, and Leader of the Hispanic Owner/Operator Marketing Committee. “We are very proud to continue the HACER Education Tour this year and offer even more high school students the opportunity to learn about the college admission process, despite the challenges they may be facing.”
As early as its eighth year, the DO® Education Tour began in October with new workshops specially designed for counselors, teachers and parents. The CoolSpeak youth participation group returns to the tour to motivate and inspire participants by sharing their own life experiences. After the student sessions, Julissa and CoolSpeak will offer real-time Q&A sessions, sharing encouraging tips and messages with youth across the country.
“I am very happy to be part of this year’s McDonald’s DO Education Tour. I have long advocated for education in the Latino community and recognize the importance of sharing this information and educational resources with the families of my community,” said Julissa Calderon. “Being part of the tour has allowed me to share my educational experience with students across the country, and I hope to motivate more students to go in search of a college degree and let them know that they have at their disposal the resources they need to achieve their dreams.”
The McDonald’s HACER® Education Tour is one of many initiatives that make up the DO®. McDonald’s DO® National Scholarship has awarded more than $31.5 million in scholarships to date and has helped 17,060 students since its founding in 1985. It is one of the most important programs committed to offering college scholarships and providing resources for Hispanics, annually awarding a total of $500,000 to 30 outstanding Hispanic students in the last year of high school.
This year, McDonald’s is committed to doing more to support Hispanic students through the DO®. In addition to receiving scholarships this year, the 30 winners of the DO National Scholarship® 2020 received a “technological backpack” containing a laptop, wireless mouse, and headset—some of the tools they need to succeed in a virtual learning environment. The company doubled its investment in the DO program and earmarked $1 million to help Hispanic students this academic year with an additional 100 scholarships.
Visit www.hacertour.com to enroll in one of the upcoming workshops and to learn more about the workshop calendar, McDonald’s National DO® Scholarship, and other educational resources.
ABOUT McDONALD’S
McDonald’s has always been committed to the communities it serves and the people who make them up. But now they need support now more than ever, so McDonald’s is prioritizing its commitment to communities to nurture and foster their future through initiatives like the DO National Scholarship and more.
McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves nearly 25 million customers daily a variety of options prepared with quality ingredients. 95% of the 14,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the United States are independently owned and operated by men and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com,or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook. www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.