Youth Leadership Academy
Creating Leaders and Inspiring Scholars!
Our Mission: To engage and inspire youth to maximize their potential to become successful community leaders through the access and responsible utilization of post-secondary education.
Our committed staff of mentors and facilitators has been helping our cadets and parents gain access to higher education since our first graduating class in 2002. But our work is far from over.
"I AM on the path to success. I AM college bound."
-Our YLA Motto
There is always something happening with our YLA cadets...
because there is so much for us to learn from each other, and there is even more for us to teach!
Youth Leadership Academy does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.
Words from our YLA Family
"I feel as if YLA has changed me because it's shown me what there really is out there, and what I need to do to ensure myself a really good future."
-Aynur, as a 9th grade cadet
"YLA has been a place where I’ve made new friends and have learned so much. Not just about leadership skills but about who I am and how to become a better person. With YLA I’ve been able to step out of my comfort zone and put my leadership training in action."
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-Luz, a 2015 YLA alum
"Many times as educators, we think that we are here to let the students learn from us... but over and over again, we learn even more from our students. YLA cadets have a lot to teach the world!​"
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-Kathy-Ann Pegues, Executive Director