Puentes is a Spanish word meaning “bridges.” Since 2007, Puentes has been building bridges connecting Latin American immigrants and their children to the greater New Orleans community. Our work is dedicated to overcoming economic, racial, and cultural divides and to providing Latin American families and communities with the resources, knowledge, and hands-on opportunities they need to thrive.

We are focused on youth leadership and development through our Escalera and LUNA programs. Escalera is a national program that promotes economic mobility for youth. Targeting low-income, first-generation Latino students, Escalera supports students both personally and academically as they explore career paths, prepare for college, and develop leadership and technology skills. This 2-year after-school program follows students entering their junior year and follows them through their senior year, providing guidance and support through a semi-structured curriculum that is responsive to our community's needs and identities, case management, career exploration, and STEM knowledge. 

L.U.N.A. (Latinos Unidos de Nueva Orleans en Acción) is a grassroots, multi-racial youth coalition that builds the power and participation of young people working together to develop creative solutions to problems that directly affect them. This project focuses on youth leadership development with a strong emphasis on youth-led advocacy, organizing, and coalition building