"Empowerment Through Education"

Chicanos for Progressive Education was established in 1991 as a response to the lack of a Chicanos Studies program at USC.  CPE was originally organized as a means to learn about Chicano history, literature and culture. In the fall of 1994, a group of USC students felt the need for a new organization that was solely committed to the education and retention of nuestra gente.  They took the initiative to create such an organization and hence, CPE was born.

After writing CPE's mission and organizing its internal governing structure, CPE had its first general body meeting under a new constitution and three clearly defined objectives: High School Outreach, a Mentor Program, and a Scholarship Fund.

Today, CPE continues to strive toward its goals by visiting local high schools on a bi-monthly basis, fundraising for its scholarship fund and implementing a retention program. In addition, CPE has created an up-to-date alumni database in order to track CPE alumni and provide its current members with an efficient networking system, allowing them to establish personal connections in the professional community.  CPE alumni enjoy participating in our events and are still very much an integral part of C.P.E.