ABOUT CENTRO
Dane County será una comunidad donde las familias latinas pueden aspirar hacia arriba, para alcanzar sus objetivos personales y sueños porque se sienten comprometidos y reforzada con las herramientas para el éxito.
Centro Hispano of Dane County's mission is Empowering Youth, Strengthening Families, Engaging the Community. We aspire to a vision where Dane County, Wisconsin will be a community where Latino families can aspire upward, to reach their personal goals and dreams because they feel engaged and strengthened with the tools for success. 
History
​Centro Hispano of Dane County was founded in 1983 by a group of community volunteers, including Ilda Conteris Thomas, who also served as the agency’s first executive director, to meet the emergent needs of Cuban refugees recently settled in Madison. However, as the Latino community in Dane County grew and diversified over the years, so did Centro’s programs and services. In 2006, Centro Hispano became the owner of an 18,000 square foot facility at 810 West Badger Road in the heart of Madison’s south side.  The agency now serves an average of 2,500 families and 4,000 individuals through its programs and services each year. ​
Mission & Vision
​Our mission is Empowering Youth, Strengthening Families, Engaging the Community in such a way that Dane County will be a community where Latino families can aspire upward, to reach their personal goals and dreams because they feel engaged and strengthened with the tools for success. From the strong foundation Ilda Conteris Thomas and others gave the agency, Centro has grown to have 17 paid staff and an operational budget of over $1 million annually. The agency serves 2,500 families and 4,000 individuals through its programs and services each year.

OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

EMPOWERING YOUTH: Through our youth programs -- Juventud (middle school), Escalera (high school), Nuestras Voces and [Re]Generacion -- Centro Hispano focuses on shaping a better life for young Latinos by giving youth real alternatives and resources to provide themselves with a brighter future. Our goal is to see Latino youth prepared to succeed in life by finishing high school, being prepared for post-secondary education and engaging positively in their communities.

The Juventud Program, embedded in the MMSD middle schools, allows youth to explore their cultural identity and build self-esteem while providing one-on-one academic support. The Escalera Program, also embedded within MMSD high schools, works with students focusing on career awareness, higher education, and preparation for life after high school. 100% of our Escalera students are working and attending school and 100% have graduated from high school in the past 5 years. Finally, our programs Nuestras Voces and ReGeneracion work with youth to develop leadership, advocacy and self confidence through discussions, workshops and personal expression at Centro.
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES: While youth are our future, we do not forget that youth cannot succeed without strong families. At Centro we offer services to provide our families with the basic support and resources they need to address a variety of issues affecting their everyday lives such as fraud, unemployment, legal issues, healthcare and much more. Centro also has case-managers who provide specialized assistance with immigration and criminal justice cases. Each case manager works with an average of 2000 clients per year.

Our adult programs 1) Caminos and 2) Wellness bring together the needs and interests of the community we serve with our vision of providing them with the tools they need to be successful. Caminos focuses on building career tracks for Latinx in the fields of healthcare and finance and our Wellness Program brings our community together around issues and activities related to food, nutrition, and well-being.
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ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY: Throughout the year Centro provides a constant space for Latinx of Dane County and their allies to gather. We hold over 100 community events a year, including concerts called peñas, that bring together local leaders and community members to shape the future for Latinx in Dane County, celebrate our cultural identity, and engage our community. We also hold community forums where community members can help shape what type of programming Centro Hispano creates in the future. Our 18,000 square foot facility, two parking lots and community gardens offer plenty of unique spaces to accommodate a variety of activities and events simultaneously.