Miami, Florida, Through the leadership, initiative and development of ASPIRA's Information Technology Director Gilberto Conde-Genot and President & CEO Raul A. Martinez, Florida has announced the launch of its new website on January 1, 2009. The new website will be content managed by ASPIRA's Executive Leadership Teams of Charter School and YLD Outreach Operations. The Aspirante, ASPIRA of FL Official Newsletter will also be available through on-line subscriptions. For more information, access the Florida new site, log-on to: www.aspirafl.org.

Another of ASPIRA's APEX will begin shortly at the River Baldwin Community Center. The program will be launched in January and available for community parents throughout the city. ASPIRA feels this APEX site, is sure to continue on in the tradition of training parents to aid and support their children's academic success and educational excellence. Also, in 2009, new sessions will be starting opening up in Hartford, Bridgeport, and New Britain. For more information please call the ASPIRA headquarters: (860) 218-2015 or email ASPIRA of CT

Every year ASPIRA Club students from over 20 Chicago Public Schools participate in the Areyto Ceremony. The "Areyto" is based on an ancient ritual in which the Taíno Indians, the indigenous people of the island of Puerto Rico, celebrated important events in their community.  This included bringing in the harvests, preparing for the war and elders passing down their oral traditions. We at ASPIRA have adopted this tradition as a way to teach our youth about the Puerto Rican culture, history and to mark the point at which our youth become lifelong ASPIRANTES.

ASPIRA staff, parents, and representatives from CPS and Alderman Manny Flores' office recently came together at the Bernard Moos Elementary school and distributed 46 brand new computer lap tops to the students. ASPIRA believes that sharing resources and working together for the benefit of our children's education is a commitment that should be uniform across schools. This parity increases the productivity and success of everyone who works in the education system.