Youth Leadership Institute

Youth-Led Protest Halts Marketing Campaign with Binge Drinking Message

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:42:00 GMT

Earlier this month, national youth-oriented clothing retailer Tilly’s unveileda spring break marketing campaign telling shoppers “this is the time to get tanked,” complete with coolers and scattered red plastic cups. Students in Novato, California saw the campaign and were not happy with it’s references to binge drinking. With support from the Youth Leadership Institute, the Novato High School Friday Night Live chapter, and the Novato Blue Ribbon Coalition for Youth, the students organized a letter writing campaign, urging Tilly’s to end the promotion. Their protest worked, and Tilly’s has agreed to take down the displays at 145 stores nationwide. This success garnered the attention of national high school media program Channel One, which aired a piece about the youth-led protest this week to over 1 million youth across the nation.

View the video on Channel One's website here.

SparkOpportunity Challenge Asks Young People: How You Would Connect More Youth to Jobs and Economic Opportunity?

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:05:00 GMT

Musician and member of the youth-focused White House Council for Community Solutions Jon Bon Jovi today joined SparkAction and the Youth Leadership Institute to launch the SparkOpportunity Challenge, an innovative “crowdsourcing” competition for young people to share their ideas on how to create local jobs and opportunities for youth. Winners will receive prizes and tools to get their ideas off the ground.

At a time when more than 6.7 million young people are not in school and are unemployed, this cutting-edge Challenge spotlights the power of young people to shape the solutions, and harnesses social media to support social innovation.

“As a White House Council Member, last summer I met with various organizations across the country and the youth that they serve,” said Jon Bon Jovi. “What I saw on these visits were bright, determined, focused young people who were seeking out opportunities to overcome obstacles. These young individuals have learned which services work and which don’t. They have learned that working with like-minded organizations in their communities can create jobs and opportunities.”

“The SparkOpportunity Challenge is platform for all youth to submit solutions and potentially have their ideas for reconnecting their peers come to life,” says Jon Bon Jovi.

The SparkOpportunity Challenge calls on young people to submit videos or text detailing their solutions and use social media to campaign for the ideas that they think can really work. The top-voted winners will receive an iPad, start-up grants of $1,500, and mentoring from recognized business and policy leaders to see their ideas brought to life locally.

The Challenge was developed by SparkAction, an initiative of the nonprofit Forum for Youth Investment, and The Youth Leadership Institute, along with a coalition of leading youth organizations across the country.

Organizers are launching this online effort in response to the White House Council for Community Solutions’ call for the nation to do more to reconnect young people with the education, training and comprehensive social supports critical for long-term employment and lifelong economic independence.

The Challenge is designed to spotlight youth-driven solutions and identify new ideas from young people from all walks of life. All solutions are fair game, from entrepreneurial start-ups to ideas for social change.

“Lifting the voices of youth to forge innovative solutions is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing as well. We are delighted to be part of an effort that does just that,” says C.J. Callen, CEO of the Youth Leadership Institute. The Institute has formed a National Youth Ambassadors initiative to build opportunities for stakeholders in communities to hear the unique and vital perspectives of young people seeking pathways to educational and employment opportunities.

To join the SparkOpportunity Challenge, young people and their adult allies can visit www.sparkopportunity.org, submit ideas to create jobs and opportunities, and vote for the ones they think can work.

Ambassadors Chosen to Raise the Voices of the Nation's Opportunity Youth

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:10:00 GMT

The Youth Leadership Institute today announced the selection of youth ambassadors to serve as spokespeople for a campaign to raise awareness and spark action to help the nation’s Opportunity Youth. Opportunity Youth are young Americans ages 16-24 who are disconnected from education and from work — more than 6 million youth and young adults nationwide.

The eleven youth and young adults were selected because of their powerful personal stories about overcoming challenges to successfully engage in education and work, many of them through vital “pathways” that provided them with real work skills, mentors, internships, and social and financial support.

The Youth Leadership Institute selected the ambassadors as part of its effort to help bring powerful youth voices to national and community discussions about providing opportunity as a way of supporting the work of the White House Council for Community Solutions. The Council is identifying ways that every American community can create the civic infrastructure or local road map to move youth along pathways to education, employment, and ongoing civic participation.

The Youth Ambassadors:

Jairus Cater of Nashville, TN, age 20, is a student at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, was the first in his family to attend college, and found his calling serving those he saw experiencing unemployment, gangs, drug abuse, and incarceration in his community. Cater interned at the Nashville Career Advancement Center and the Oasis Youth Opportunity Center, and later became a co-chair of the Nashville Mayor’s Child and Youth Master Plan Task Force.

Ryan Dalton of New Orleans LA, age 22, is a student at Southern University at New Orleans and a chef and floor trainer at Cafe Reconcile. Dalton credits Café Reconcile’s job training program with changing his life in a crime-filled neighborhood following his dislocation after Hurricane Katrina and putting him on a clear track to success.

Trevor Easley of Columbus OH, age 23, is a retention specialist for YouthBuild Columbus Community School, and Gospel Rap performer under the name Trev-eaz. After losing his mother at age 18 and simultaneously facing the loss of their home, Easley gained significant learning and leadership opportunities through his enrollment at YouthBuild’s Columbus Community School.

Francisco Garcia of Hacienda Heights CA, age 24, is a student at Rio Hondo College and a public muralist who engaged in graffiti and faced run-ins with law enforcement at a young age. He found opportunities working with a mentor and other youth at Arizona Call a Teen Youth Resources.

Torres Hughes of Chicago IL, age 17, is a senior at Austin Polytechnical Academy, a school he credits with giving him a career-focused engineering curriculum and real job exposure through his experience as an apprentice in the Beverage Industry Products and Profits program provided at his school by After School Matters. Hughes was raised by his grandmother and other family members, and fell a year behind in high school before accelerating his education at Austin Polytechnical Academy.

Shaakirah Medford of Queens, New York City, age 20, is a junior majoring in English at State University of New York (SUNY) College at Old Westbury and grew up in the Jamaica neighborhood in the borough of Queens, New York City. Medford found encouragement and corporate internship opportunities through the Development School for Youth of the All Stars Project in New York City.

José-Luis Mejia of San Francisco CA, age 24, is the lead program facilitator and producer at Conscious Youth Media Crew (CYMC) and young adult engagement coordinator at Transitional Age Youth San Francisco (TAYSF). After experiencing violence and the street economy at an early age, and losing friends by death and incarceration, Mejia gained significant professional skills and opportunities through the Bay Area Video Coalition’s (BAVC) Digital Pathways program. He is now a proud father and dedicated to creating positive change through direct service, policy, and activism in communities with the most need.

Brian Nguyen of Seattle WA, age 21, is a student at Bellevue College. After experiencing homelessness, emotional trauma, and being jobless, Nguyen participated in Seattle’s Year Up where he earned college credits and a respected internship at Google.

Hanna Sharp of Indianapolis IN, age 17, is a student at Decatur Enrichment Center. Sharp experienced homelessness and motherhood at a young age, but found the opportunity to job shadow at a bakery in downtown Indianapolis through the Jobs for America's Graduates program and also now serves as a math tutor to 5^th graders.

Brittany Woods of La Mirada CA, age 18, is a student at Biola University who overcame assault and bullying during high school. Woods discovered leadership through Health Occupations Students of America, an organization for future health professionals, and currently serves on the National Executive Council of the 130,000-member organization.

Hashim Yonis of Minneapolis MN, age 23, graduated from St. Olaf College. Yonis, who is from war-torn Somalia, grew up in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. He benefited from the TRIO and STEP-UP programs. TRIO assisted Yonis to prepare for, enroll, and succeed in college. The STEP-UP program provided him with opportunities to work with the law firm Faegre & Benson and then in Minneapolis’ Public Works Department. Now Yonis is the youngest school administrative manager in the state of Minnesota.

New Insider Newsletter Chronicles the Latest at YLI

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:12:00 GMT

This week YLI released the first issue of the new YLI Insider Newsletter. This quarterly newsletter will feature the latest news from YLI's community programs and national training center.

Read the Winter 2012 edition

Subscribe to receive future editions of the YLI Insider.

White House Council for Community Solutions Launches National Effort to Put Disconnected Youth on Pathways to Education and Work

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:41:00 GMT

On Tuesday, the White House Office of Community Solutions announced the launch of a national effort to put disconnected "Opportunity Youth" on pathways to education and employment. The Youth Leadership Institute is proud to serve as a partner in this effort, leading the engagement of Opportunity Youth.

We've provided some key excepts below. The full text of the release can be found here.

"In response to President Obama’s challenge to the nation to help every young adult find a pathway to long-term economic success, The White House Council for Community Solutions today announced it will join a diverse coalition of partners to launch a 100-day initiative to unite all citizens to go “All In” for youth..."

"The Council will ...work with Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) to communicate directly with young adults disconnected from school and work – and ensure that their voices and views are central to every community town hall-style gathering. YLI will identify local youth ambassadors – who effectively illustrate the potential Opportunity Youth offer to the nation when barriers to school and work are removed from their path – to serve as spokespersons and partners for this effort..."

We Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For: A Call For Community

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:36:00 GMT

Last week I attended the Summer Jobs+ Summit convened by the White House Council for Community Solutions. YLI has been providing support to this work, serving as the youth engagement strategist for the Council. To that end, we recently hosted a series of youth conversations, identified youth spokespersons, and provided these spokespersons with media training.

The White House event showcased the two youth ambassadors we had the honor to nominate: Shaakirah Medford of the All Stars Project in New York and Jose-Luis Mejia of Transitional Age Youth San Francisco. I may be biased but it’s the truth: the youth panel was the highlight of the day with both Shaakirah and Jose-Luis lighting up the stage. The authenticity and power of their voices and call to action was undeniable and above all, moving.

And what ensued was a conversation about real issues. I am pleased that the attendees—leaders from business, nonprofits, and government—were ready to discuss the underlying root issue: a profound lack of investment in our public education system. This was not a program to merely provide a good photo op or two, but rather the launch of a legitimate campaign to forge short-term relief and long-term fixes to the problem. The campaign has three basic launch messages:

- We can connect disconnected youth
- We must connect disconnected youth (as a moral and economic imperative.)
- Let’s get started now

Our surprise guest, President Barack Obama, drove that point home and rallied the audience to step up to the challenge of investing in youth in ways that will ensure our future. I came across an article on the Summer Jobs+ summit that talked about achieving “more bang for community bucks” and I would add in this case we are equally empowered to proclaim, “more community for your bucks.” That is, after all, what youth really want – community.

I’m sure there is general cynicism about this effort in an election year but I’ll choose to accentuate the positive and seize the opportunity: how often have we had a real national conversation about low-income and disconnected youth who are disproportionally people of color?

Here’s the White House press release with the official word on the Summer Jobs+ program.

We must open the doors of opportunity. But we must also equip our people to walk through those doors.

– Lyndon B. Johnson

Youth Leadership Institute Announces New CEO

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:11:00 GMT

Following an extensive national search, the Board of Directors of the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) announced today that it has tapped philanthropy strategist and youth advocacy pioneer CJ Callen as the new CEO of the organization.

“CJ stood out from a very impressive group of applicants with her remarkable passion for youth, relevant experience, and vision for YLI’s future,” said YLI Board of Director’s Co-Chair, Mary Topliff.

Callen joins YLI with deep philanthropic and social change leadership. She has provided program strategy and design support to foundations and individual donors through her consulting firm, and authored a report on the state of social justice philanthropy. She also designed curriculum and taught nonprofit governance and administration for Golden Gate University’s nonprofit leadership program, and led education and professional development programs at Northern California Grantmakers. Callen is a trustee of the Whitman Institute, a private foundation, a board member of Bay Area Blacks in Philanthropy, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Foundation Center—San Francisco.

“I’m grateful to be the next leader of YLI with its rich history of bringing youth voices to social justice causes” said Callen. “This fulfills a longstanding personal passion to help develop youth leaders both locally and nationally.” Her youth leadership tenure includes helping author Every Kid Counts: 31 Ways to Save our Children; co-producing I Wish I Were A Princess, an award-winning video; and founding Youth Making A Change, a pioneering program focused on engaging young people in community organizing and advocacy.

Callen earned her JD from the Stanford University School of Law, and her BA in Political Science from New York University.

YLI started the search in late summer after the planned transition of Founder and 20-year CEO, Maureen Sedonaen.

CJ Callen will begin her leadership role at YLI on November 28, 2011.

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Click here to download the press release in PDF and Word Doc and a photo of Ms. Callen.

Youth Leadership Institute 20th Anniversary Gala Celebrates Two Decades of Youth-Led Change

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:07:00 GMT

The Youth Leadership Institute 20th Anniversary Gala was held on September 15, 2011 at San Francisco City Hall. Over 350 guests attended, including youth participants and their family members, supporters, community partners, elected officials, board members, and staff.

Local celebrity chefs and their youth assistant chefs demonstrated their culinary talent, followed by speakers and an awards ceremony. State Senator Mark Leno and San Francisco Supervisor David Chiu both spoke in support of the outstanding work of the Youth Leadership Institute and its youth leaders. Founder and former CEO, Maureen Sedonaen, was also honored for her dedication and achievement. Several youth participants were honored for their leadership:

Jose Ceja, Maureen Sedonaen Founder Award

Christine Huynh, Innovator Award

Janet Salcedo, Advocate Award

Ivan Shaw, Visionary Award

A big thanks to our sponsors and contributors, including our presenting sponsor, Marin Community Foundation.

Our gratitude to all who have supported the work of the Institute and over the last two decades. We look forward to our next two decades of building communities that invest in youth!

Youth Leadership Institute receives $89,779 grant for continued funding of San Mateo County’s Friday Night Live Program

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:42:00 GMT

The Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) San Mateo was recently awarded with an $89,779 grant from The Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Division of the San Mateo County Health System. The award is for ongoing support of Friday Night Live and Club Live Services.

Friday Night Live (FNL) was developed in 1984 to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by teen motorists driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. By 1990, the number of counties with the FNL Program had increased 300% and the main focus of the program began to shift from one of preventing drinking and driving among teens to promoting healthy lifestyles free of alcohol, tobacco and other negative environmental factors like violence and gambling.*

YLI San Mateo currently provides youth development, skill building and technical assistance for youth-led action groups for 20 San Mateo County high school-age Friday Night Live and middle school-age Club Live chapters.

For more information on YLI’s programs and training, please send an email to info@yli.org.

* courtesy of fridaynightlive.org

YLI Wins Grant from Lucille Packard Foundation for Children's Health

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:47:00 GMT

The Youth Leadership Institute has received a $9,460 grant from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health for a project in which youth will learn to gather and analyze data on young people in their communities and present the information to policymakers.

The project will cover San Francisco, Marin, Fresno, and San Mateo counties. Participants will be paired with adults to examine demographic, economic, school and health disparities data from www.kidsdata.org, create summaries, and propose solutions to community leaders.

“We are pleased to support the Youth Leadership Institute in encouraging young people to learn about the issues that affect their lives and think creatively about how to address local concerns,” said David Alexander, MD, president and CEO of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.

The grant is part of a foundation program to bring attention to key issues facing children, and to promote the use of data in efforts to improve children’s lives. A list of the grants awarded is available online.

The foundation’s mission is to elevate the priority of children's health, and increase the quality and accessibility of children's health care through leadership and direct investment. For more information about the foundation's programs, visit www.lpfch.org.