By Ashley Marchand

Washington

Univision Communications Inc. announced on Tuesday a multimillion-dollar partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education to launch a media campaign to promote high-school graduation and college readiness among Hispanic students in elementary and secondary school.

The three-year project will focus on increasing awareness among students, their parents, and other Hispanic Americans about the need for greater academic and financial preparation for higher education, thus creating what officials here on Tuesday called a "college-bound culture."

For millions of Hispanic residents, there are real obstacles to providing the type of academic support that they wish for their children, including a lack of information about how to finance a college education, said Cesar Conde, president of Univision Networks, a Spanish-language broadcast television network, in a news conference.

The media campaign's message is summed up in the Spanish slogan "es el momento," which translates as "this is the moment," a phrase that urges greater participation and achievement among Hispanic students.

Melinda F. Gates said that both she and her husband, Bill Gates, share a dedication to promoting education.

"We see education as being the thing that really levels the playing field in this country," said Ms. Gates, a co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "A great education is a civil right in our country, and it needs to be seen that way."

Broadcast outlets for the Spanish-language media operation include television, radio, mobile, and online components, including a new Web site.

The exact cost of the campaign, though reported to be several millions of dollars, has yet to be determined.