About escala

ESCALA is the premier professional development organization for HSIs (Hispanic-Serving Institutions), a group of colleges and universities that serve two-thirds of all Latinx students in the United States.

Our programs aim to dismantle systemic racism in higher education for Latinx people by supporting HSI practitioners in changing the educational environments within Hispanic Serving Institutions. We do this to restore justice to Latinx people who have been historically marginalized and de-centered in U.S. educational institutions and have the aspirational capital and ventajas to succeed in environments that validate and honor their cultural as well as academic selves.


ESCALA is a trailblazer in improving the well-being of Latinx students and making Latinx student success in higher education the new status quo.


Our passion, authenticity, and expertise in culturally responsive programming are unparalleled for the following reasons:

  1. Our facilitators are thriving and experienced HSI practitioners, and;

  2. The majority of those who work with ESCALA have lived experience as Latinx people in higher education and;

  3. We have a deep well of experience working with more than 50 different HSIs across the U.S. over the last decade.

This work is more than our profession, it is our heart’s work.