Through E-mail and videoconferences, José Rosario has been introducing students at Arsenal Technical High School to comparable inner-city students in Granada, Spain. He hopes by fall of 2001 that some of the students will meet in person through an overseas exchange focusing on service learning.

According to the National Center of Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, Hispanic students drop out of school at an earlier age and have a much higher drop-out rate than non-Hispanic students.

"Programs like these are typically not accessible to students at risk of dropping out," said Rosario, director of the Center for Urban and Multicultural Education. "We want to see if we can use this as an incentive to motivate them to stay in school."

Latino teens move to the United States with their parents from a variety of countries around the world. Living in a new country and learning a new language often makes these teens feel isolated, said Rosario. He hopes that by encouraging friendships with students in similar situations and by helping them feel attached to their community through service, they will stay in school.

"When built around the idea of community service, cultural exchange programs also can be instrumental in developing and harnessing the leadership skills and civic sensibilities that young people need to make a lasting impact in their own communities," said Rosario.

Students participate in videoconferences funded by the IU Center for the Study of Global Change. During the exchanges, the two groups discuss cultural differences in education, clothing, jobs and community service.

"They're beginning to learn about young people like themselves, but in another culture," said Rosario.

Administrators and teachers from Granada are currently in Indianapolis to plan the student exchange.

Rosario has also worked on a variety of other projects, including "Club Latino" in which students travel to middle schools and deliver a drug awareness message.