2006 Líderes de Hoy National Essay Contest About Líderes

About Líderes With nearly half of all Hispanics in the United States under the age of 25, young Hispanics are a primary source of new leaders. However, too often, educators, policymakers, and community leaders have failed to recognize the need to support programs that encourage Hispanic education, leadership, and training, which in turn has led to less involvement of Hispanic youth in community affairs. Still, there are many young Latinos who are exemplary in their leadership and dedication to their own educational success and the empowerment of their communities.

The Center for Emerging Latino Leadership is an initiative of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) created to increase the number, capacity, and influence of young Hispanic leaders in the United States by building a national network that supports and strengthens programs and organizations that help Hispanic youth.

The Center provides local, community-based programs and campus-based student organizations that serve Hispanic youth with regular updates on internships, scholarships, seminars, and education programs at the local and national level. In addition, the Center focuses on providing technical assistance to these groups to improve their effectiveness, providing youth with opportunities to convene at the regional level, and connecting them with community leaders, which ultimately creates greater opportunities for collaboration and networking.

Long-term partner, Allstate Insurance Company is committed to supporting initiatives that empower the Hispanic community. Allstate has partnered with NCLR to advance the work of the Center through the development of the Líderes website (http://lideres.nclr.org) – the web presence and interactive resource for the Center. Allstate’s continued support of the Center helps thousands of promising young Hispanic leaders to positively impact Hispanic communities throughout the United States.

Interested campus groups, community-based organizations, fraternal organizations and regional and national youth organizations promoting leadership among young Hispanics can be an active part of the NCLR national Líderes Network online at http://lideres.nclr.org.