Preparing to Lead: An Initiative for Next Generation Latino Leadership
It is estimated that the Latino community will double in size over the next 40 years and will comprise more than 30% of the United States population by 2050. To help develop a cadre of next generation leaders from and for this community, the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) has established the Latino Leadership Initiative (LLI), which hosted its first class of young leaders in June, 2010.
The Initiative has been made possible by a generous donation of seed funding by Entravision Communications Corporation, and by Entravision’s Chairman and CEO, Walter Ulloa. CPL is grateful to Mr. Ulloa for his visionary leadership in supporting the initial phase of the Initiative.
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Program Participants
The LLI annually serves up to 40 of the nation’s most promising undergraduates with demonstrated interest in serving the Latino community. Our mission is to recruit participants whose academic achievement is best complemented by an intensive, week-long leadership development program at Harvard Kennedy School.
A complete program schedule and logistical details can be found on our HKS Executive Education LLI website.
Program Objectives
- To enhance the leadership capacity and understanding of a cadre of students committed to serving the Latino community;
- To help participants form a strong and durable bond among themselves and with other leaders; and
- To inspire participants to view their own possibilities for leadership and professional achievement as limitless.
Program Structure
The LLI features classroom sessions on a range of leadership development topics, including self-awareness and core competencies such as public speaking, decision making and negotiation. In addition, the young leaders have an opportunity to network and build a community among themselves, and to interact with a range of leaders from the nonprofit, business, and government sectors. LLI participants are also responsible for creating personal leadership action plans and team based community service projects designed to enrich their local communities and help them utilize their new leadership skill sets.
Cohort Two (2011)
The LLI functions on a cohort system, wherein groups of students from universities, rather than individual students, convene and work together to form individual leadership actions plans, as well as team organized community service project. The 2011 cohort was comprised of students from the University of Houston; Texas A&M International University; University of Texas-Pan American; University of California, Merced; Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles); Miami Dade College; and University of Massachusetts Boston.
Community Service Projects
Once back on campus, the LLI alumni, in conversations with faculty and student affairs sponsors, must jointly agree on a community service project to be planned and executed by graduation. Each school team will be responsible for creating a history of their project, using any form of media—interviews, written narratives, videos, pictures, websites, etc. Below are the project summaries of the 2010 LLI school teams.
| Loyola Marymount University |
The LMU cohort focuses on higher education for Latino high school students. Their goal is to increase attendance of Latinos in college, specifically for disadvantaged high school students near Loyola Marymount University. The cohort pairs high school freshmen with freshmen at LMU who serve as their mentors until each student graduates from their respective schools. In addition to biweekly meetings, the project offers workshops throughout the year on applying to college, college financing, and more, for the students and their parents. |
| Miami Dade College |
The MDC cohort created 305 Rise, a community organizing campaign that aims to help 25 American Dream Scholarship recipients from Miami Dade College develop as future leaders and prepare the transfer application for the completion of their Bachelors’ degree. By targeting American Dream Scholars, they hope to optimize the effectiveness of their program through a pool of constituents who have demonstrated academic success and who are eager to achieve their college transfer goals. |
| Texas A&M International University |
The TAMIU cohort partnered with Youth Leadership Laredo (YLL) to provide youth in the area with lessons and mentorship through a series of lectures focused on the roles and applications of practical leadership skills. They also partnered with Leadership TAMIU (Last year’s TAMIU LLI project) to assist in helping high school seniors in YLL attain higher education through one-on-one mentorship. |
| University of California, Merced |
The UC Merced cohort partnered with the school’s GIVE program—a tutoring and mentoring organization dedicated to helping students pass the CAHSEE and SATs and to motivate students to pursue higher education. They work to help at-risk students gain access to resources for higher education. |
| University of Houston |
The UH cohort has started Houstonians Organizing People for Education (HOPE), a collaborative that organizes leadership development fairs for high school students in five school districts in the greater Houston area. The half-day events include sessions on financing higher education and developing leadership skills. Additionally, they provide a session for parents on accessing and financing their child’s higher education, as well as equipping them with tools to support their child's academic career. |
| Reyes Ramirez (UH independent project) |
Reyes has started University Latino Artists (ULA), which convenes and supports Houston’s Latino artists seeking a degree in the fine arts through showcases, mentoring, and scholarships. Reyes hopes to raise awareness of Houston’s Latino art presence in higher education and to provide otherwise unavailable resources. |
| University of Massachusetts Boston |
The cohort is establishing a student organization called Beacons of Hope (BOH). BOH is a college access program housed at UMass Boston that connects undergraduates with middle school students across Boston through existing community agencies. BOH seeks to counter educational, economic and social disadvantages by fostering interest among the middle school students in the college experience, offering support that enables academic success, and guiding their character development. |
| University of Texas Pan-America |
The UTPA cohort is looking to raise the awareness of and interest in voting among students on campus by helping to create the Latino Initiative for Voter Empowerment (LIVE). LIVE attends mandatory freshmen classes and informs students of upcoming elections, registers them to vote, and updates them on news and opportunities to get involved. |
| Tania Chavez (UTPA independent project) |
Tania created Latinos for Equal College Opportunities (LECO) which provides comprehensive education on college access programs and opportunities to students, who are either undocumented, are part of the English as a Second Language Program or are migrant students. The goal is to inspire students to take advantage of the various opportunities to attend a college or university regardless of their status in society. |
Prospective Students
Prospective students are nominated to apply by someone at their current college or university who recognizes their leadership potential. Applicants must maintain a 3.2 GPA, be a rising college senior at the time of our June 2012 program and have a desire to change the world! Nominations are submitted to your designated university LLI representative:
- University of Houston: Rebeca Trevino, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- Texas A&M International University: Ray Keck, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- University of Texas - Pan American: Magdalena Hinojosa, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- University of California, Merced: Jane Lawrence, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- Loyola Marymount University: Linda McMurdock, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- Miami Dade College: Carlos Barrezueta, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- University of Massachusetts Boston: Mellisa Colon, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The Center for Public Leadership will make final admissions decisions for the LLI Program. All program costs, travel, room and board are underwritten by LLI sponsors and financial supporters.
Advisory Board
We are honored to have an esteemed group of leaders from business, academia, and nonprofits serving on the LLI Advisory Board.
Program Support
Funding for the long term sustainability of this new program is key to its success. Individuals who care deeply about the Latino community and the emergence of its next generation leaders will comprise the group of funders. Pledges to support the program over its initial three years would be formally acknowledged on the Center’s website and in marketing publications.
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Diana Barrett Elizabeth & Randall Berman Alonzo Cantu Walter Ulloa |
For more information about the Latino Leadership Initiative, please contact Dario Collado, Program Manager, at (617) 496-0280 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .