Robert Renteria Brings Personal Touch to “From the Barrio to the Board Room” for South Chicago High School Students

June 3^rd visit to George Washington High School to jumpstart program helping youth overcome at-risk behavior and personal obstacles.

CHICAGO, Ill. (May 25, 2010) – On the south side of Chicago, where many high school students face daily challenges from poverty, violence and drugs, it might be difficult to envision a bright future. But at George Washington High School, administrators are trying a new approach to help students break the cycle of poverty and take charge of their own paths. Using Robert Renteria’s inspiring memoir, “From the Barrio to the Board Room,” 180 freshmen and sophomores in the school’s Honors program are reading about Renteria’s humble beginnings in the barrio of East Los Angeles, his struggles with drugs, and gangs and violence, followed by a successful corporate career and owner of several start-up businesses.

Click here to see the entire Press Release!

Renteria has partnered with Smarter Comics™, a new company owned by Franco Arda based in Silicon Valley that creates comic books by taking popular non-fictions books, summarizing them and illustrating them into a comic. “Little Barrio” is the biographical story in comic form of Renteria’s life that has taken him from the ghetto of East LA to being a successful businessman and now civic leader. Round Table Companies President Corey Blake will oversee the creation of the comic book with Creative Director Nathan Brown. Brown will collaborate on the illustrations of the 50 page book with artist Shane Clester, who has drawn for leading comic book publisher IDW, Hasbro, Scholastic, Macmillan, and Times of London.

“The idea of a comic book is a natural for The Barrio,” said Renteria, who for the past year and a half has been on an aggressive mission to pull people from the barrios and ghettos by teaching them that anything is possible when one makes the right choices. “Working with Smarter Comics™, we have a great opportunity to play a bigger part in changing the landscape of our youth across America. As we continue to grow in the educational area through our curriculum From the Barrio to the Classroom, ‘Little Barrio’ will play the role of a champion for younger kids who have lived and are currently living my past lifestyle. These little kids need positive role models, too, and this comic book will be instrumental in opening doors for them.”

The comic book developed as a result of a presentation of the From the Barrio to the Classroom curriculum at the Chicago Principal and Administrators Annual Conference in February, where Renteria, Chief Executive Officer of From the Barrio Foundation Corey Blake, and Executive Vice President of the Foundation Cheryl Maraffio received numerous requests for a medium to deliver Renteria’s story to younger children. “From the Barrio to the Board Room” is suited for youth in seventh grade and above. “Little Barrio” will be geared toward fourth- to sixth-graders.

“Our goal is to use the comic book in conjunction with another version of the curriculum that will be delivered nationwide,” said Blake. “We’ll also be producing it in Spanish immediately and hope to bring it into Mexico quickly.”

The Smarter Comics™ series offers readers a fun way of reading non-fiction in comic book style, appealing to those children and adults who prefer to read engaging stories in a less traditional manner. Younger children sometimes interact better with a simpler, more graphic story, and educators can still teach the fundamentals of the story with a comic book.

“‘Little Barrio’ will be the first book of the Smarter Comics™ series,” said Arda. “We’ll launch the Internet platform shortly thereafter so that readers will be able to buy digital comics for their PC, iPhone or Kindle. It’s an exciting project to be involved with.”

“Little Barrio” is the next step in a passionate mission for Renteria, Blake and Maraffio. Currently The Foundation donates the curriculum, developed by teachers, community leaders and advisors, which has been used by more than 3,000 Chicago city students as well as other at-risk youth and adult organizations around the country.

To learn more about “Little Barrio,” From The Barrio Foundation, the book and its curriculum or to read more about Renteria’s story, please visit www.fromthebarrio.com or contact Corey Blake at 224.475.0392.

A remarkable man with a remarkable vision and mission. Robert Renteria. If you’ve never heard of him, don’t worry…you will. And soon.

Without intending to do so, Robert has started a movement that has immeasurable impact on every person reading this post. His book, From the Barrio to the Boardroom, is changing the way thousands of tees and children are looking at their lives and picturing their future. Kids from backgrounds that many of us couldn’t imagine are being empowered and making choices to make something of their lives- rather than become another statistic of violence, delinquency, drugs, and gangs. They are choosing to live a life as special and unique as they are. This book, and the curriculum being taught in schools is changing lives.

So how does this impact the rest of us who don’t even know these kids? I probably don’t need to answer that, but I will. Bottom line…people who contribute to society take responsibility for themselves and don’t expect others to take care of them. People who contribute add tax dollars to the couffer. People who contribute bring brilliant new ideas and innovation to us all. People who contribute make little people who grow up knowing how to contribute and the impact grows from generation to generation. Robert is leaving a legacy. It’s happening because it’s who he is. It’s what he’s here to do. It’s in his corazon.

Thanks Robert for stepping forward and being a leader.

Robert and Cheryl (Executive VP of the Foundation) appeared March 4, 2010 on “In Little Village” with Augie Salas, President of the Little Village Community Council.

Nancy Bartosz, assistant principal at Westmont High School is one of those people that you thank the world for every day. Nancy has been emphatic about our program since the day she heard about it and has gone out of her way to ensure that the program was delivered to her students. Corey Blake had the opportunity to meet Nancy in person recently at Roosevelt University, where the two participated in an event for youth based initiatives. In February, Robert plans and is eager to visit Westmont and speak to their students.

The Barrio book/message and the From the Barrio to the Classroom curriculum have not only changed the lives of boy’s, girl’s, men and women alike; it has changed my life as well. In 2010, I will be focused on reaching out to pull people from the Barrio’s and Ghetto’s by teaching them that anything is possible if we believe and that living a productive and meaningful life only comes from making the right choices. There are no shortcuts in life and even though we have had to survive a difficult 2009, all of us must maintain our integrity, respect and honor for the sake of all our fellow human beings. We will be looking to build on our momentum and continue to create partnerships around the world that will better serve all those who are working hard to live out their hopes for American dream!

Those of you who have read the book, know that Robert believes that the military not only changed his life, but saved his life. Here Robert is pictured with Command Sergeant Major Victor Rivera as they discussed ways that Robert can help men and women to successfully transition out of the military and back into a successful civilian life.