Universidad Popular

Universidad Popular a.k.a. Latin Center, wishes to promote neighborhood development and community empowerment via the pr-axis of participatory learning or popular education. Since its very inception in the early 1970s, Universidad Popular has adopted the practice of branching itself out to various parts of the city, which explains its presence currently in Chicago Lawn, Pilsen, and Little Village. Universidad Populars brand of community work is rotted in the educational philosophy of Paulo Freire, the world renown Latin American educator. For this reason, Universidad Popular believes that in order to succeed in the community, education must be done with the participation of local residents. Due to such a standing, it shies away from traditional paradigms of community work characterized by designing programs for the community. Instead, it chooses to carry out activities, projects and programs such as adult, family, youth and early childhood education with, by and for the communi...