ABOUT
The Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute is an innovative program sponsored by the NYS Senate/Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force in conjunction with the annual Somos El Futuro Legislative Conference. It has been in existence since 1990 and was dedicated to the memory of the Honorable Angelo Del Toro in 1995. This institute is co-sponsored by the NYS Education Department Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Studies, NYC Department of Education, Aspira of New York, Inc., The College Board, and the Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Centers (BETACs).
The overal purpose of the PR/HYLI is student empowerment. To this end the Institute has the following goals for its student delegates:
- to develop leadership skills
- to gain an understanding of the NYS legislative process by participation in research and the development of legislative proposals
- to gain an understanding of responsible citizenship
- to create opportunities for interaction with positive role models such as elected officials and other adult professionals
- to promote a dialogue between youth and community leaders concerning issues that affect Hispanic youth
The Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute consists of 3 main phases:
- Training in regional delegations: selected student delegates focus on identification and research of local issues, study of the NYS legislative process, parliamentary procedure and selected bills, preparations of issue papers with recommendations.
- Participation in the 3-day PR/HYLI weekend: 200 students from 12 delegations statewide take part in key activities which include team-building exercises to develop inter-regional relationships, college and career development workshops, a youth rally, a student delegate recognition dinner where winners of the PR/HYLI scholarships and other awards are announced, a Youth Forum with NYS legislators, and the Mock Assembly session which is conducted in the NYS Assembly chamber.
- Extension and refinement of leadership skills: back in their local communities, student delegates continue to work on skills acquired during phases 1 and 2.