ABOUT US
Our mission
We enrich the lives of youths and adults.
Our vision
To help people throughout world-class educational and empowerment programs to realize their full potential.
Our values
Responsibility: We meet our obligations and we are careful to make decisions and execute our actions.
Integrity: We behave ethically, we are honest, loyal, punctual, and consistent.
Quality: We are in a continuous effort to maintain standards of excellence.
Innovation: We are agents of change, generating new ideas and making them real.
Teamwork: We collaborate with each other; a team member plays a part but all with a common goal. We seek collective success over the individual.
Our story
The System for Education Empowerment and Success (SEDES) was founded in Houston, Texas, in 2008 (formerly named La Raza United). In 2018 the organization was renamed to better understand its mission, vision, and values. It was founded due to the educational and leadership gaps among vulnerable Latino families in the United States. SEDES is a nonprofit organization that has developed tools to break poverty cycles and help individuals achieve a better quality of life. SEDES promotes economic growth inspired by Confucius's famous quote, "Give a bowl of rice to a man, and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice, and you will save his life", through diverse learning opportunities, such as job skills training courses (ESL, Financial Literacy, GED, Electrical Training/Licensing, and Computer Literacy) for adults and young adults. As well as college and career readiness and awareness interventions for adolescents that SEDES's participants increase their income, they receive instruction needed to jump from minimum wage to better jobs and post-secondary education careers.
Our Logo
In the SEDES logo, the figure of a monarch butterfly stands out; this creature is internationally recognized for its phenomenal migration, during which, each butterfly undertakes a high flight, working as a team to ensure that the group reaches its destination further afield and unreachable it seems. In this same way, we recognize the migratory movement of individuals, from cavemen to modern men, always looking for the best place to guarantee their survival. If we work like monarch butterflies, no matter how high we want to fly or how far we want to go, we can be sure that we will succeed as a whole society. The wave-shaped line represents the ups and downs that life faces us, of which the monarch butterfly (however fragile it seems) is victorious. The blue color symbolizes freedom and progress, while the yellow color represents knowledge and joy.
"Give a man a bowl of rice and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will feed him for a lifetime" - Confucius
Luis A. Garcia-Alvarez
At the beginning of this century, Luis Ángel García Álvarez took the resources at his disposal and arrived in the United States to pursue his dreams, which expanded to lead a fight to improve the quality of life of Hispanic immigrants.
With that in mind, since 2008 he built SEDES, a platform that allows these dreamers to achieve their financial freedom and develop fully and harmoniously with society.
During his years in the educational field, he collaborated with the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans, where he directed programs focused on the education of Hispanic adults. Between 2011 and 2012, he worked as Deputy Director of Organization for Stand for Children in Houston, focusing on advocating for educational reform in Texas.
Luis Ángel has also shown his passion for direct teaching, teaching Spanish classes at CE King High School. Academically, he holds a Master's degree in Human Rights and International Law from the European Institute Campus Stellae and a bachelor's degree in Industrial Design from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León.
His achievements and contributions did not go unnoticed: he was recognized by the City of Houston in 2021 with the Hispanic Heritage Award, proclaiming October 5th as Luis Ángel García Álvarez Day. He was also awarded by the MLS as the most valuable player in the community in 2021 representing Houston Dynamo. His leadership has been highlighted in media outlets like El Financiero, from Mexico.
He has been a member of advisory boards and committees, reaffirming his dedication to a better future for all. His legacy continues to be an inspiration for many.
"The United States is a mix of cultures, different from one another, which might be seen as a problem. However, some of us see it as a great strength, when viewed through the eyes of inclusion and cooperation. And it is from this perspective that my life as a Hispanic in the United States gains greater meaning and purpose, fueling my 'American dream', the dream of strengthening our Hispanic community so that, shoulder to shoulder, it can build a harmonious and progressive relationship with all the inhabitants that make up the United States." Excerpt from his essay for the application to the U.S. Hispanic Leaders Program, Spain-U.S. Foundation Council.
