Youth Leadership Institute Programs

Youth Leadership Institute Programs bring young people and adult allies together to work on positive community change that promotes social justice and racial equity. The programs use proprietary training tools to guide participants in skills such as being articulate presenters, capable listeners, compelling storytellers, organizers, politicians, and community advocates. Youth Leadership Institute also offers Training and Consulting Services that provide workshops in Practicing Anti-Racist Leadership and other social justice topics to youth and adults across the nation.

Youth Leadership Institute’s mission is to build communities where young people and their adult allies come together to create positive community change that promotes social justice and racial equity. The organization has secured over 130 policy wins across the state. Youth Leadership Institute partnered with Hayward youth commissioners to offer a workshop on practicing anti-racist leadership at the first annual Hayward Youth Conference, which had funding from the City of Hayward and additional support from the Hayward Unified School District, the Hayward Public Library, and Hayward Area and Recreation District.

Former staff member MaryJane Skjellerup shared that yli made her more aware of her environment and community and that it showed her she has a voice and to not stop fighting for what she believes in, and that it taught her that leadership is the ability to take charge and be a voice for others. Alumni Karla Martinez said that if it was not for yli, she would not have become so passionate about city planning and the intersections of the built environment, class, race, gender, and life expectancy, and that she had guidance from leaders who cared about her and wanted to teach her to become a great writer and advocate for her community. Former staff member Erika Céspedes said that yli taught her that admitting when a person is not sure, being vulnerable, and asking for support is part of what makes a strong leader, and that she grew into a more interdependent, team-oriented, and leader-full mentality during her years at yli. Alumni Ange Vail described the VOICE program as really fun and said they learned how to be a leader, how to advocate for themselves in unfair situations, and that it is okay to speak up and that a youth voice matters, and also said the program was a fun experience where participants made new friends and grew together. Alumni Juliana Taboada said that yli showed her how much she loves to write, that she had not always felt comfortable in creative projects involving writing, and that being part of yli helped her see that writing is something she loves to do, and she is now in college planning to study creative writing to one day become a writer.

Last updated April 23, 2026.