HOPE Youth Leadership Program
HOPE Youth Leadership Program
Young Latinas in California deserve every opportunity to fulfill their dreams. The HOPE Youth Leadership Program (HYLP) helps them get started with a big first step: Going to college.
Through the HYLP, low-income, high school-age Latinas prepare for college, gain financial literacy skills, civic leadership skills, and build social capital alongside peers and advisors who support them in achieving their personal academic goals.
Through age-appropriate, culturally sensitive skill and community building, young Latinas are set up for success:
- 98% of HYLP alumnae graduate high school
- 93% enroll in college
- 93% graduate college in 5 years or fewer
Track I Overview: Six-Month Program
Track I of the HYLP occurs over an intensive six months, with periodic check-ins to support young Latinas’ college enrollment. Participants are encouraged to join the HOPE College Leadership Program upon college enrollment.
HYLP participants learn about STEM and careers, financial literacy, college admissions, civics and advocacy, and personal development. They complete a civics project, conduct field trips across the state, and connect with HOPE’s broader community at Latina Action Day and Latina History Day.
Track I Participation
Participants in our intensive six-month program are selected by HOPE Youth Community Partners across California, with an emphasis on the following regions: Oakland, San Jose, Central Valley, Hayward, Fresno, Riverside, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. HYLP has a partnership model. HOPE establishes partnerships with selected groups before the beginning of the school year. Partners are responsible for selecting students based on established criteria, selecting an advisor for the group, and coordinating trips for the formal gatherings in Los Angeles and Sacramento.
Track I Qualifications
To be eligible for selection into the HYLP, a student must:
- Have a GPA between 2.0 and 2.99
- Be a high school junior (11th grade)
- Be a prospective first-generation college student (neither parent has a college degree)
- Qualify for the National School Lunch Program
- Show a commitment to the program and HOPE’s mission
Track II Overview: HOPE Conferences
The more condensed version of the HYLP is built around HOPE’s main annual conferences, Latina Action Day and Latina History Day . This track provides young Latinas with opportunities for educational development, career exploration, and connection with HOPE’s extensive network of Latina professionals.
Track II Participation
Participants in Track II are selected by organizations that sign up as HOPE Youth Affiliates.
Youth Affiliate groups are made up of four to eight students and one adult chaperone. Chaperones agree to register and accompany HYLP participants at Latina Action Day or Latina History Day . They must also offer a pre-conference orientation and debrief afterward for participants’ feedback.
We encourage organizations to sign up as HOPE Youth Affiliates as soon as registration opens for each event, and before making travel arrangements. Youth Affiliate Benefits include discounted registration rates and group seating.
Staying Connected and Supported with the HCLP
HOPE ensures that HYLP graduates can still count on this powerful community once they enter college. With the HOPE College Leadership Program (HCLP), they learn to launch meaningful careers and continue developing their political voices — with guidance from Latina leaders, and solidarity with each other, every step of the way.
Support the HOPE Youth Leadership Program
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HYLP Sponsors
Contact Us
To learn more about the HOPE Youth Leadership Program, please contact Lauren Salaiz, Senior Program Manager.