National Hispana Leadership Institute's Latinas Learn to Lead Program

The National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), a 501(c)3 organization based in Washington, DC was established in 1987 to address the underrepresentation of Latinas in the corporate, nonprofit and political arenas. NHLI’s mission is to develop Latinas as ethical leaders through training, professional development, relationship building and community activism.


Overview:

To help young Latinas stay in school and be prepared to enter the workforce of the 21st century, NHLI created the Latinas Learning to Lead Program, targeted college-enrolled, 18-24 year old Latinas.
NHLI’s Latinas Learning to Lead Program promotes and fosters the career and educational development of young college-aged Latina leaders through training, mentoring opportunities, and access to national networks and tools to create a community impact through their leadership projects.


Program:


The NHLI’s LLL program annually selects 22 Fellows. Session topics include effective communication and presentation skills, advocacy training, public policy issues affecting the Latino community, and other professional and leadership development topics, such as financial literacy and career opportunities.


Impact:


The LLL program has graduated over 200 young Latinas since its inception in 2001. Program evaluation data demonstrates approximately 71% of LLL participants indicate that the program reinforces their completion of higher education credentials. In addition, 96% of participants report that they plan on attaining a graduate or professional degree.

Leadership Training Elements:
    ▪    Attending 5-day leadership training in Washington, D.C. in July
    ▪    Participating in a one-day shadowing program. Participants will be paired with an NHLI alumna from NHLI's Executive Leadership Program or Advancing Latina Leaders in Nonprofits Program. NHLI alumna will continue to mentor LLL participants beyond the completion of DC week.
    ▪    Implementing a leadership project that emphasizes driving safety in their communities that impacts at least 22 Latinas.
    ▪    Joining a nationwide network of Latina women 



Requirements:
    •    Be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program and not graduating before December 2013.
    •    A minimum of 30 semester college credits/hours by May 2013.
    •    A minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
    •    Be 18-24 years of age.
    •    Demonstrate strong leadership as indicated by on campus and community volunteer and civic engagement.
    •    Have a strong commitment to Latina/o issues
    •    Be able to commit to the entirety of the program, including: attendance at all training sessions from July 22-28, 2013; mentoring component; & completion
    •    Have a United States government issued photo id for travel. 



Cost:
With the support of our generous sponsors, NHLI covers room and board, training costs and all classroom materials necessary for the program for all participants. Program participants are responsible for a $250 tuition fee. They are responsible for covering their own medical and travel insurance, and any incidental expenses. NHLI will cover airline costs for those traveling from airports with Southwest Airlines availability.

Application Information:
The 2013 Application deadline is Wednesday, May 15th, 2013. Please have all application materials, including recommendation letters and a $20 application fee, submitted by or on that date. Candidates will be notified whether they have been accepted by early May. 

If you have deferred your position in the past and plan to attend this year's Latinas Learning to Lead program, please contact NHLI at Programs@nhli.org. More info is also available at the NHLI site.