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Líderes Summit: 300 students, activists, presenters, speakers, actors, singers, artists, dancers, volunteers, and celebrities, ages 14 to 25, representing 20 states for five days of workshops, community service, contests, and networking; simply, Latino leaders of today and tomorrow.

On June 25-29, young leaders from all over the United States convened in Phoenix for the 2004 NCLR Líderes Summit – a two-part event that provides youth with the opportunity to advance and work together as the Latino community’s leaders.

On Friday, June 25, before the NCLR Annual Conference began, young Latino leaders took part in the Líderes Pre-Conference, which kicked off in the morning with the first-ever community service event organized by a partnership between the Líderes Summit and NCLR’s AmeriCorps Program. Participants worked on projects at the sites of three Phoenix-based NCLR affiliate organizations, and a fourth community-based agency. After lunch, young leaders took over the Pre-Conference by both presenting and attending their own workshops. Organizations, corporations, and individuals partnered to lead 16 workshops on topics ranging from financial freedom to the “DREAM Act” to image theater to community organizing. Friday also featured a special Q&A dinner session with WNBA and championship University of Connecticut basketball star Diana Taurasi, and concluded with a DJ dance.

As the main NCLR Annual Conference began on Saturday, Summit participants got an early start on the day by attending a series of morning workshops on the job market and financial success. From that point, Summit participants transitioned into all the activities of the main NCLR Annual Conference. They formed teams with whom they attended as many events as possible with the extra incentive of a Líderes contest, which encouraged teams to attend the most events and network with the most people. By the end of the conference on Tuesday, the team from Centro Campesino Farmworker Center, an NCLR affiliate in Florida, won by collecting enough points to earn them MP3 players and other prizes from program sponsors. The runner-up was a team that included participants from Instituto del Progreso Latino in Chicago and the International Youth Leadership Institute in New York City, and the individual point winner was from the Latino Community Development Agency in Oklahoma City.

In addition to attending all NCLR Conference activities, ten outstanding Líderes Summit participants represented Latino youth nationwide by being panelists in the Líderes Youth Town Hall. The Town Hall session is one of the NCLR Featured Sessions during the main Conference. Moderated by MTV news correspondent Gideon Yago, the Town Hall featured a youth panel speaking on issues of importance to all Latinos while fielding questions from the audience. Both youth and adults commented on how empowering it was to hear the intelligence, power, and call-to-action from the diverse voices of the ten panelists.

As the Conference concluded, 90% of participants reported in their evaluation surveys that they would like to return to the Líderes Summit in Philadelphia in 2005. Many of the participants told us how the Summit was a “life-changing experience.” Many reported gaining confidence, learning from the diverse Latino leaders they met during the Conference, or simply that the Summit “helped sow the seed of commitment to our community.” Participants were energized with fresh ideas on how to improve their communities; some groups already have action plans to start programs such as a sex awareness program for middle school students or local rallies about national legislation. Ever optimistic, we anticipate even more attendees at the 2005 Líderes Summit, as 2004 participants return, bringing even more youth leaders in tow.

Keep an eye on the Líderes website for information on the 2005 Líderes Summit!