The State System of Higher Education has organized since 1992, as part of its commitment to the Latino community, a statewide activity in support of the leadership of Latino youth. This event, the Annual Latino Youth Leadership Convention, is the first and only forum for Latino high school students from throughout Pennsylvania to meet as a group and discuss their issues. The convention brings together 100 high school Latino students from areas in Pennsylvania which have a large Latino concentration. The purpose is to give these young adults the opportunity to discuss issues which they consider to be of importance to them as well as to develop strategies to address those concerns. Some of the topics which have been discussed include: education, health, diversity and leadership, organizational development, Puerto Rican culture, racism and discrimination, self-image, family values in Latino homes, and adolescent development.
The conventions are student-centered, that is, the students define their issues and develop their own strategies; they are not lectured to by an adult. Although an adult facilitator is present, their role is to empower the youth to participate and lead the process. This is a key component in overcoming the powerlessnes which most of these young people feel; as young people they are usually viewed as recipients for the ingestion of information, not as generators and formulators of issues and solutions.
The basic premise of the convention is that these young adults are leaders, however, they are denied genuine opportunities to exercise their leadership. One of the goals of the conventions is to counteract the negative messages these young people receive which make them doubt their true ability and lowers their self-esteem. The convention validates the students' issues and concerns while at the same time emphasizing the delegates' own responsibility in seeking and achieving change. The convention seeks to empower the youth to face and deal with their issues in a positive and proactive manner. Delegates are asked to make a personal commitment to their leadership (by completing a personal task) and a group commitment to a community project.
The delegates have represented the following cities: Allentown, Bethlehem, Chester, Erie, Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, Norristown, Philadelphia, Pottstown, Reading, Sunbury, West Chester, and York. These communities represent over 66% of the entire Pennsylvania Latino population. Two guest delegations from Boston and Camden have also participated.
The conventions have been a resounding success. As a result of each convention, a number of student groups have returned to their communities so energized and self-assured in their leadership that they have established Latino youth leadership clubs. In recognition and support of their efforts, the tradition of having a different youth group serve as co-sponsor/host of the convention was started.
The following groups have co-sponsored the convention:
At the 1996 convention we celebrated a historic landmark. Members of the co-sponsor group decided to incorporate as a non-profit organization, Casa Camino Borinqueño Ardiente, Inc., whose mission is "to enhance the leadership skills of Puerto Rican and other Latino youth in Erie, and to motivate them to work toward higher academic achievement and success." This step exemplifies one of the principles upon which the convention is based, i.e., that the youth be proactive in addressing their issues and concerns. Consequently, Casa C.B.A. became the first Latino youth group in Pennsylvania to take steps to formally incorporate as part of a plan to meet the challenges faced by young people in their community. In 1997 Latin Power followed suit and founded the only Pottstown-based community nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing issues related to Latino children and youth - Centro Cultural Latinos Unidos, Inc.
Starting with the 1994 convention, the group selected to serve as co-sponsor has attended a training program to help prepare them for assuming the responsibility of organizing and running the convention. This training, the Summer Latino Leadership Institute, has been held in conjunction with Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, at the McKeever Environmental Center.
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