Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project, Inc.

The Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project, Inc. (CLYLP) was founded in 1982 with the primary purpose of preparing students to participate in California’s economic, social and political development. CLYLP is guided by the overall theme "California's Future Leaders," and its programs emphasize the importance of culture, community, college and careers. To date, more than 5,000 students have gone through the program. Since the inception of CLYLP, high school students from throughout the state of California have participated in a week-long, intensive leadership training program in Sacramento known as the Sacramento Leadership Conference each year. Regional leadership institutes have also developed and held in the San Joaquin Valley and Los Angeles, the San Joaquin Valley Institute, the Los Angeles Institute, and the Bay Area Institute, beginning in 1999, 2005, and 2014 respectively. Since its inception, the CLYLP has held a weeklong, intensive leadership training conference for high school sophomores and juniors from California. There are three main components of the conference: guest lectures about California’s public policy process, meeting with Latino legislators and role playing public policy development. The Project seeks to have alumni of the summer leadership conference return to their communities with a stronger sense of identity and role in the community. Alumni programs include the Comcast Fellowship, a month-long leadership program based in Sacramento, and the Ellie Enriquez Peck Alumni Internship Program, a year-long professional development and mentorship program working with the Board of Directors and the Roberto Gracia and Sal Castro Memorial Scholarship Programs. Alumni have ongoing opportunities to continue their development as leaders including serving as role models for other students, networking with other alumni and through their involvement with CLYLP committees.