Mónica Larenas Program Officer for the Latin America Program

As Program Officer for the Latin America Program, Monica works closely with Phil McManus at the Appleton Foundation, and with consultant Maria Delgado to carry-out FNV’s grantmaking in Latin America.

Mónica joined the staff in 2005. She was a founding Board member and served on the Board through 2009Prior to work with FNV Monica worked as an educator and activist in public education in Santa Cruz County for ten years, focusing on the education and rights of low-income immigrant and Latino children and their families. She began her social justice activism in the 80’s related to solidarity work with Central American immigrants and organizations. Monica has a B.A. in Politics, with an emphasis on Latin American politics, and a M.A. in Education, with an emphasis on bilingual, multicultural education. As the first US born daughter of Chilean immigrants, she has experienced a part of the rich, interesting and at times confused mix of cultures that is California.