Undergraduate Student Programs

"El Centro has life—changing and growing with each generation of students. Its life reflects our lives, serving a very important cultural, intellectual and social center for our community." - James M. Montoya '75, former vice provost for student affairs.

El Centro offers students a supportive environment to explore the opportunities and challenges of working, studying and organizing within a diverse community. Students identify themselves using a variety of terms: Hispanic, Mexicana, Puerto Rican, Chicanx, Latinx, Mexican American and more. Despite these different labels, many students find common ground through their involvement at El Centro Chicano. 

The wide range of activities that take place at El Centro offer students an intensive training ground that helps prepare them for future leadership opportunities in an increasingly global society. Through planning a program, creating a publication, developing a theatrical piece, attending Sunday study nights, tutoring elementary school children, facilitating graduate colloquia, presenting research and more, students gain practical leadership experience that continues to benefit them and their communities long after they graduate from Stanford.