United by determination, strength, and honor, the sorority celebrates the richness of Latinx culture, fosters academic achievement, and serves local college campuses and the community at large through a common bond of sisterhood. Tijeras, our national philanthropy program, was initiated over 20 years ago to advance these efforts and has been witness to incredible strides in achieving this mission. The dictionary defines the word “Tijeras” (scissors) as two blades held together by a pin. Likewise our national community service program is represented by the two blades of academic excellence and community service held together by the pin of our sisterhood. The program’s main components are directed at addressing issues of Latina leadership skills development, Latinx Literacy and increasing higher education accessibility. Each year we continue to raise the bar towards the advancement of literacy within our communities, and we strive to be a positive impact as we reach out to promote the importance of higher education to young women. Providing service to others is not just something we do, it is part of who we are. We invite you to learn more about how we are making a difference.
For over 30 years, Lambda Theta Nu has been fundraising in the name of literacy! Every chapter of Lambda Theta Nu participates in our Literacy Gram program by fundraising for the national grant and acting as an advocate for literacy both on their campus and within their community. The funds raised through the Literacy Grams are in turn awarded by our sisterhood to up-and-coming non-profit organizations that have programming dedicated to promoting literacy and access to education within the Latinx community.
In the Spring of 2020, we proudly donated $20,000 to The Conscious Kid’s Anti-Racist Children’s Book Fund, a fund designed to counter racist socialization, structural racism and racial bias in public schools serving low income communities. Other notable donations include a 2017 Literacy Gram award in the amount of $15,000 granted to the Women’s and Men’s Health Services of the Coastal Bend, Inc. The 2023 Literacy Grams will be awarded to a non-profit organization in a city to be announced. For more information, please contact the Director of Community Service at community@lambdathetanu.org.
As an organization, we have a personal obligation to help improve the graduation statistics of Latina women by empowering girls to achieve success from a young age. Each year, each chapter plans, coordinates and implements a Latina Youth Leadership Conference (LYLC) in their community designed to create a fun and safe environment in which middle and/or high school girls can take college preparedness workshops and engage in discussions about academic barriers affecting Latina women. Our overall objective is to encourage young girls to establish academic goals early on, allow our members to be a testament to academic success in higher education, and help young students navigate the intricacies of entering college.
Our Other Tijeras Service Programs
A program in which our members provide high school students with assistance in resource acquisition, goal setting and exploration of academic and professional options.
Our members across the United States create awareness on the issue of Latinx Literacy by hosting events at their university campuses. Chapters host book drives, Latinx literacy panels, promote reading to children, and host fundraisers to promote higher education in the Latinx community. All proceeds collected from the literacy week are donated to a non-profit whose mission is to promote and foster literacy skills within the Latinx community.
Our active chapters partner with local high schools to provide an environment of support for open discussion and guidance on issues affecting the futures, academics and social lives of young Latinx high school students.
