About AAMA

The Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA) currently serves over 30,000 men, women, and children through more than 20 different programs. AAMA's mission is to advance the lives of at-risk youth and families through an array of innovative programs that provide education, social services, healthcare and human services, and community development in Texas cities.

In Houston, AAMA has pioneered critical work with at risk youth through the highly successful and nationally recognized, George I. Sanchez High School (GIS). In 2001, AAMA opened a second GIS campus in San Antonio. GIS is successfully educating 600 students in 2002.

Our adult education program, AAMA Adelante (To move forward), provides classes in ABE (Adult Basic Education), ESL, GED, technology training and citizenship to approximately 3,000 students each year.

With the assistance of public and private funding sources, AAMA's health and human services served 27,992 people in 2001 and is recognized as the largest and most successful provider in Texas for alcohol and drug treatment services.

The most recent U.S. Census indicates that a large share of the nation's economic growth will depend on the millions of Latino children in the U.S. public school system and on the educational employment opportunities that they are given. The economy and labor market of the future will be, for the most part, met by today's Latino students, who will constitute a large share of the nation's workforce. The targeted communities, which AAMA serves, are living in economic and social distress. AAMA is one of the few safety nets for those we serve.