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By Michael Lopez

It's never too early to learn about the American legal system and this week on Sesame Street, young viewers got a taste of it thanks to Sonia Sotomayor. The Latina Supreme Court judge made a very memorable appearance on the show and even ruled on case involving Goldilocks and Baby Bear.

In a very cute segment, Sotomayor stumbles upon Baby Bear, a colorful Muppet who seemed to be in a bit of legal trouble. Baby broke the chair of Goldilocks and, as Sonia emphasized, it was now his responsibility to have it replaced.

But Sotomayor didn't just offer her advice, she actually threw on her trademark black robe and presided over the case!

"I always wear these robes when I hear a case,” she jokingly told the audience.

We actually think Sonia did a great job on the Street. Not only did she teach little ones about fairness and consideration, she showed off her very sharp sense of humor.

Did you catch Sonia's appearance on the Street? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Education, Muppets, Sesame Street, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court, Television

By Michael Lopez

Keep your eye on Javier Fernandez-Han. This 17-year-old science whiz may very well change the world within the next decade. And we're not the only ones who think so. Forbes recently put him on their prestigious "30 Under 30" list.

Tapped into the magazine's Energy category, Javier is among some very elite company. 24-year-old Danielle Fong already runs her own renewables company called LightSail Energy. Her inventions have made great strides in the electrical world, giving scientists new ways to store and harness solar power from the sun.

Though Fernandez-Han hasn’t quite reached the level of CEO yet, he's well on his way. The Texas high school student (who is half-Mexican and half-Chinese) has invented a groundbreaking system that can break down sewage and convert it into methane for fuel.

Not only that, he's already founded his own humanitarian organization called Inventors Without Borders. Javier hopes his ".org" will allow for new inventions to be used in poverty-stricken areas around the world.

"Once I realized I enjoyed inventing, I began to see how I could provide solutions to common problems," he told NBC Latino. "Inventing things became a way to help people."

And interestingly, the science world is starting to take notice. Fernandez-Han has already spoken at conventions for the popular website TED and been flown to Spain to deliver a speech to eco-engineers (which has become a YouTube sensation).

But if you were to ask his proud parents, Javier is still very much a "normal" teenager. He enjoys ping-pong, afterschool social events, and, well, saving the world.

"All teenagers have potential to solve problems. My vision is that one day that what Javier does will be considered typical," Fernandez-Han’s dad Peter explained. "As parents, we can expect kids to be creative in everything they do. When you refrain from providing a quick answer or buying solutions to a kid’s boredom, you cultivate the expectation that your kids can, and will be creative."

Have you ever tried to invent anything? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 30 Under 30, Agentes De Cambio, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Danielle Fong, Ecology, Education, Forbes, Inventors Without Borders, Javier Fernandez-Han, LightSail Energy, Science, Technology, TED

By Michael Lopez

We may still be a long ways away form the next Hispanic Heritage Month, but that doesn't mean that more cultural strides aren't being accomplished.  Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has announced an initiative to preserve important Latino sites as national landmarks.

Focusing particularly on Colorado and New Mexico, Salazar pointed out several key locations that are worthy of national attention. He explained how American minorities are in dire need of more landmarks, not just for preservation, but for cultural pride.

"Less than three percent of all the national landmarks we have are designated for women, Latinos, African Americans, or other members of minority groups," Ken recently stated. "That tells you that the score is not even."

Salazar actually oversees the country's National Park Service and is considered to be the Obama administration's most senior Hispanic official. He hails from Colorado's San Luis Valley and (not coincidentally) has put that area on his list for preservation.

The San Luis Valley is Colorado's oldest town and contains the state's oldest church. According to Ken, it also includes several "nationally significant American Latino heritage sites." Salazar's other mission is to preserve New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo mountains, which he believes would make a great national park.

"I think when you look at the way Americans most understand the history of Latinos in this country, a lot of it is being told now through the lens of what’s happening with the immigration debate," he went on to say. "While that's an important debate that has security and moral implications, in my view, there's also a huge history of Latinos in the United States that's never been told."

Ken may definitely have a point and there's a good chance that the President is listening. With the 2012 elections right around the corner, this type of recognition could be just the thing Obama needs to get in the good graces of Latino voters.

What's your favorite national landmark? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Education, Ken Salazar, National Landmarks, Politics, President Barack Obama

By Tony Saint Jean

How about your favorite music playing in the hallways between periods? That's what the students at Bridgeport wanted... and their wish was granted!

Bridgeport High won the "Listen to Me!" sub-challenge by having the most students share their ideas online. Get Schooled rewarded them with a 50-song music playlist of their choosing.

Students chose songs like: "Best I Never Had" by Beyonce, "Love You Like a Love Song" by Selena Gomez, "International Love" by Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias, "Born this Way" by Lady Gaga, "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull and Ne-Yo and more.

Bridgeport High School is currently ranked 10th in the Get Schooled Attendance Challenge. They can move up in the leaderboard by showing up to school or participating in other activities such as: the celebrity wake-up call or teacher recognition.

If they end up winning the Attendance Challenge their school will get awesome prizes like college scholarships, school makeovers, whole-school field trips and celebrity events! Would playing music in the hallways get you to go to school? Check out what other students think!

Tags Attendance Challenge, Bridgeport High School, Education, Get Schooled

By Tony Saint Jean

What would make you want to go to school? More field trips? What if your school played your favorite tunes in the halls? What if lunch was yummier? Or would you prefer interesting guest speakers to visit your class? Whatever it is, Get Schooled wants you to let them know. Have a  different idea? That's okay too, there's an option where you can write-in your own response. Want more interesting after-school programs? Want recognition for your good attendance? Just write it in!

What if you were rewarded for your good attendance with ice cream or pizza? That's what the public school system in Seattle, WA is doing! As a way to get their students to go to class and meet their attendance goals, schools are offering pizza parties and ice cream truck visits to their students. Even celebrities are trying to raise attendance levels around the nation.

Want a wake-up call from Wiz Khalifa, Nicki Minaj, Trey Songz or Jesse McCartney? No problem! Get Schooled and several celebrities team up to wake you up every morning and get you out of bed.

Get Schooled is on the right track! Field trips are winning so far, but music in the hallways is not too far behind. We think BOTH should be put into practice! "What would make you come to school every day?"

Tags Attendance Challenge, Education, Get Schooled, Students, Wiz Khalifa

By Tony St. Jean

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Tr3s is featuring the stories of seven remarkable Latino students and honoring them as Agentes de Cambio. These seven students are the 2011 Hispanic Heritage Youth Award Recipients, selected for their extraordinary accomplishments and talent. Check out Melissa, Jose, and Catarina – all Latino youth change-makers committed to doing what they love while making a difference.

Though she is still a student, Melissa is already looking to teach the next generation of youth. She wishes to become an English teacher to instill a love of reading and writing in others. In addition to her academic achievements, Melissa is the Editor-in-Chief to both the Spanish Literary Magazine and the English Literary Magazine her school publishes. Melissa, who is Venezuelan and Spanish, has a positive outlook on her future – “It’s not just recognition for what I accomplished so far, but also support and motivation for what I hope to achieve in the future.” Melissa’s passion in education is match by our next participant’s drive to help others.

Catarina loves to help so much that she has set a personal goal of logging 4,000 hours of community service by her 25th birthday. During the summer, Catarina volunteers at Peeble’s Elementary School where she works with children as a teacher’s aide. She was given the title “Community Service Lieutenant” by her school for her extraordinary efforts in the community. Catarina recently taught a week long course in animal awareness to kick off her Leadership Academy Senior project. She strives to be a role model to her peers, “I want to set a good example. I want everyone to be able to go out and volunteer”. Our last student also wishes to motivate others with his actions.

Jose Antonio Villanueva’s mom told him that if he wanted to get further in life, it would be through education. Taking his mother’s advice, Jose has excelled in academics and has become the top Hispanic Math and Science student in his school district. Jose was named a National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar for placing in the top two percent of Hispanic SAT test takers. His high AP test scores earned him the prestigious AP Scholar Award. Jose, who is Mexican and Spanish, wants to see more Latinos in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields. Jose attends Stanford University where he is majoring in Civil Engineering.

Tags Education, Hispanic Heritage Month, Latinos

By Michael Lopez

Let's be honest, those ethnicity boxes on the Census forms are not an easy sell. Can you really summarize your entire culture in just one word? Black, White, Hispanic, Pacific Islander…Though the government would love to use that method to keep things that simple, ethnic backgrounds require a lot more consideration.

What if you're biracial? What if you're "None of the Above?" Or what if you're a Hispanic who would like to be classified as something else? Interestingly, new stats have shown that quite a few Americans fall into that latter category. According to reports, many Latinos are now checking the boxes that say "White" and "Native American."

As far as the Native American classification goes, that may be somewhat understandable. Nearly every Latin American country has indigenous people and most families can directly trace their heritage to a particular tribe.

And judging by the Census stats, thousands already have. Since 2000, the amount Latinos who identify themselves as Native American has jumped from 407,000 to over 685,000.

Mario Garza, founder of the Indigenous Cultures Institute, has encouraged American Latinos to seek out their roots and take a stand for Native American rights.

"The Spaniards tried to destroy our civilization and history, outlawed our ceremonies, yet we are still here," Garza said. "With a bigger group of Native Americans, we have a better chance of getting federal recognition and grants."

It is also interesting to note how many Latinos label themselves as white on Census forms. The most common areas where this is occurring are California and Texas, which have seen a six percent bump in the amount of "declared" white Americans.

Theories for this shift relate to an increased amount of biracial Latinos. Data has shown that in multiracial families, children tend to classify themselves more as white than Hispanic. This is partially due to the fact that Hispanic is not a race. Perhaps if the Latino Census boxes were broken down a little more clearly, things would be different.

Robert Lang, a UNLV sociology professor, believes that in many families, the boundaries between white and Hispanic are continuing to blend. He also predicted that America’s concept of the two ethnicities will be vastly different within the next 30 years.

"What's white in America in 1910, 2010 or even 2011 simply isn't the same,” he said. “The definition of white has always been expansive. I could see the census in 2030 or 2040 dropping the differentiation between Hispanics and whites."

Let's hope those Census writers get the message soon and start creating more appropriate ethnicity boxes to reflect the changing faces of America.

How do you identify yourself on the Census form? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Census, Cultura, Education, Indiginous Cultures Institute, Mario Garza, Native Americans, Robert Lang, U.S. Census

By Vanessa Beatriz Soto

President Obama's office announced today that they have named four individuals to key administration posts, and Shakira is among them!

The posts in question are four seats on the President's Commission On Educational Education for Hispanics, which is described as "a multi-agency working group within the Department of Education charged with strengthening the nation's capacity to provide high quality education while increasing opportunities for Hispanic American participation in federal education programs... closing the educational achievement gap for Hispanic Americans."

The individuals who have been honored with these appointments are:

Montgomery County, Maryland Councilperson and Education Activist, Nancy Navarro

Executive Director of the Partnership for Community Action, Adrian A. Pedroza

Phoenix, Arizona High School Superintendent, Dr. Kent P. Scribner

Activist and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll

That's right - the President of the United States just hired Colombian-born pop star Shakira!

We are totally thrilled to hear that Shaki will have a hand in shaping the minds of generations of Hispanic youth. After all, she brings tons of experience and insight to the role, and will add a global perspective to the team:

"Per the White House: Ms. Mebarak Ripoll has been involved in a number of global educational efforts. She founded the Barefoot Foundation in 1995, which operates schools and educational projects in Colombia, South Africa, and Haiti, feeding and educating approximately 6,000 children.  In 2010, she collaborated with the World Bank and the Barefoot Foundation to establish an initiative that distributes educational and developmental programs for children across Latin America", says the statement.

And it adds,

"In 2008, Ms. Mebarak Ripoll served as the Honorary Chair of the Global Campaign for Education’s Global Action Week.  In 2005, she became a founding member of Latin America in Solidarity Action, a coalition of artists and business leaders seeking to promote integrated early childhood public policies."

Wow! An impressive resume! And she sings a little, too.

So, is this appointment also a clever political maneuver to curry favor with Hispanics and particularly Hispanic youths in what is sure to be a difficult presidential re-election campaign for Obama? Is the President merely giving his Hispanic Education initiative a friendly and recognizable public face with built-in publicity value? Would a republican president have made a similar appointment?

What's your take? Speak out in the comments!

Tags Barack Obama, blogger: Vanessa Beatriz Soto, Education, Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, popnews, Shakira, white house

By Michael Lopez

Just imagine graduating eighth grade with a degree from the "Carlos Santana Arts Academy." That's what hundreds of L.A. kids will get to experience when they finish their studies at a newly christened elementary school.

Centered in SoCal's popular San Fernando Valley, the Carlos Academy will follow the same regimen as any other public institution in the L.A. Unified School District. But we're hopeful that subjects like music and history (particularly Carlos' era of 1970's rock) will get special attention.

The Mexican guitar god seemed quite touched by the honor, sending a letter to the district thanking them for the recognition. Outside of his musical abilities, Santana is a known philanthropist, which weighed heavily on the LAUSD's decision to add his name to the school.

Carlos is currently on the Divine Rascals tour with George Lopez. But we get the feeling when he gets back to L.A., you may just catch "Mr. Santana" popping in to the Academy to teach a few after school guitar lessons.

Are you a fan of Carlos Santana's music? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Carlos Santana, Carlos Santana Arts Academy, Education, LAUSD, Música, Schools

By Michael Lopez

There has been a lot of good news for young Latinos looking to further their education. For one thing, California's Dream Act moved one step closer to completion. On Wednesday, the state Senate approved a bill that would give undocumented students the opportunity to receive financial aid. And beyond that, there have been some very encouraging stats about Hispanics enrolling in U.S. universities.

According to the latest study from the Pew Hispanic Center, 1.8 million Latinos are currently pursuing a higher education. Obviously that large number is very encouraging, but what makes it even more incredible is the fact that Hispanic college enrollment is up by 24 percent since 2009.

News like this could have an extremely positive impact on the Hispanic-American culture. And if things continue with the upward trend, you can expect to see a lot more Latin doctors, lawyers, and PhD's in the workforce.

"Improving the educational attainment of young Hispanics would improve the long-term socioeconomic prospects of the nation's largest minority group," Pew researcher Richard Fry said. "It would not only be beneficial for Hispanics themselves but would also raise the education and skills of the nation's future work force."

The study also went on to illustrate how the increase of Latino college students equates to a decrease in high school dropouts. Pew Research stated that as of October 2010, the Hispanic high school completion rate was at nearly 73 percent.

Many also equate the increase to more opportunities for the modern American Latino. Following up on the study, CNN spoke with student Erica Ruiz, who seemed very grateful that she had been given educational opportunities that her parents weren't.

"My parents always encouraged me to go to college and get educated," said Ruiz, who is Mexican-American. "Because they didn’t get the opportunity."

And with September now in full bloom, expect to see a lot more Latino "Back To School" ads popping up between your favorite shows.

What do you think about the latest Hispanic education stats? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Back To School, Blogger: Michael Lopez, California DREAM Act, College, Cultura, Education, Pew Hispanic Center