The education and Chicano/Latino communities recently lost a hugely influential leader who devoted his entire life to the education of Chicano students in the inner city who historically do not a complete college degree. A symbol of educational equity and opportunity for all students, Sal Castro’s legacy lives strong and is ever-present through the thousands of lives he influenced as a teacher and counselor in the Eastside schools of Los Angeles for four decades.
His impact is further felt all across Los Angeles and surrounding counties through the Chicano/Latino Youth Leadership Conference (CYLC), founded over 40 years ago to provide high school students with a transformational experience, focused on developing college-oriented thinking and planning, drenched in cultural relevance and the spirit of community service.
The Sal Castro Foundation was founded to honor Sal Castro’s legacy by formalizing a structure to continue his legacy. Since his passing, we have experienced groundswell of renewed support for CYLC and Sal Castro’s admonition to students, “No sean mensos. Go to college and graduate!” We look forward to working together as a rich community of like-minded individuals and organizations to make sure that Sal Castro’s life’s work continues for generations of students to come.