1. Leadership Development

• Skill Building: Participants gained essential leadership skills, including communication, teamwork, and project management. They identified specific challenges in their communities and developed SMART goals to address them, applying their learning to real-world contexts.
• Empowerment: Fellows were empowered to take on leadership roles within their communities, fostering a sense of responsibility and initiative. The program provided youth with skills, knowledge, and networks that they may not have otherwise had access to, allowing them to feel like true leaders with voice and agency in their communities.

2. Community Engagement

• Hands-On Experience: Participants engaged in real-world community projects.. This practical experience allowed fellows to contribute directly to their communities while building leadership skills.
• Social Responsibility: The program emphasized the importance of giving back to our communities in an ongoing manner, instilling a commitment to social justice and equity. Fellows expressed a strong desire to continue giving back to their communities and to stay engaged as an alumni group.

3. Personal and Collective Growth

• Confidence: Through various activities and mentorship, participants built self-confidence and self-efficacy. They learned to navigate challenges, develop their ideas, and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
• Empathy: The program fostered empathy by encouraging participants to understand and address the needs of their communities. Bringing together youth from different backgrounds created a sense of unity and collaboration, with fellows supporting each other through their journeys.

4. Academic and Career Preparation

• Mentorship: Each fellow was paired with a mentor from the Advancing Social Equity Initiative Fellowship Alumni Circle, who provided guidance and support throughout the program. This mentorship helped fellows enhance community, academic and career pathways while fostering personal and professional growth.
• Networking: The program offered coalition building opportunities with community leaders and professionals, expanding participants’ future prospects. Fellows were also highlighted in public forums, such as the Tri-Unity Conference, showcasing their leadership and special interest projects, engaging resources from schools and community partners.

Program Structure and Implementation

Conducted in a hybrid format, the program incorporated both in-person and virtual sessions to ensure broad accessibility and accommodate participants’ needs.

Trust-Based Philanthropy (Non-Profit Selection & Stipend Awards)

– Our Nuestra Juventud Program embodies the principles of trust-based philanthropy by shifting traditional power dynamics to prioritize youth leadership and community engagement. We provided unrestricted funding to our young leaders, offering them the autonomy to make philanthropic decisions.

– The program focused on the bedrock of trust, transparency, collaboration, and providing holistic support to participants, ensuring that they had access to mentorship, capacity-building resources, and the flexibility to pursue their unique mission.

– Youth Fellows selected non-profit organizations of their choice to receive unrestricted grants in alignment with their mission. This process allowed participants to apply their learning in trust-based philanthropy and make a direct impact on organizations they trusted and felt passionate about supporting.