Thursday, July 24, 2003

UGA’S FANNING INSTITUTE OFFERS NEW
LATINO YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

WRITER: Jennifer DePrima, 706/542-2512, jdeprima@uga.edu
CONTACT: Maritza Soto Keen, 706/542-1108, mkeen@fanning.uga.edu

ATHENS, Ga. – The J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership recently completed the first phase of its new Latino Youth Leadership Program. The first session was held at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education from June 8-11, 2003; the second phase will be held March 26-27, 2004. This statewide program brought together 16 students ages 15-18 who have demonstrated leadership potential and are committed to developing and implementing plans to bring positive change to their communities. The students came from schools in the Athens, Atlanta, Dalton and Gainesville areas, which are home to some of the largest Latino communities in the state.

"Developing Latino leaders is a natural next step for a community that has experienced tremendous growth in the last decade," said program director Maritza Soto Keen. "The Latino Youth leadership Program focuses on developing the leadership skills of young people, skills they can take back to their communities."

Participants were selected by a committee with expertise in leadership development, Latino issues and youth programs. Through the program, participants are gaining a better understanding of issues that affect Georgia’s and the nation’s Latino community; learning more about the global and societal issues that impact those communities; discovering their personal leadership styles; and learning how to affect change through leadership. The university, corporate and community sponsors, and interested individuals are underwriting program costs, leaving no cost to the participants.

During the June session, participants toured the UGA campus, experienced student life and participated in discussions with university students, Latino professionals and representatives from colleges and universities throughout the state. They also attended sessions focusing on Latino issues and how they impact communities; global/societal issues and how they impact Latinos and their home communities; the principles and forms of leadership; building consensus and managing conflict; understanding how culture impacts leadership; and higher education and leadership development.

Additionally, the students are required to design and implement community service projects. The participants selected the following four projects: establish a food drive in their church and school (Gainesville and Athens); conduct a food, clothing and over-the-counter medicine drive in

conjunction with the Latin American Association (Atlanta); develop and perform a play on gang awareness and prevention for middle-school children (Atlanta); and tutor students at their high school with plans for further recruitment and expansion of the tutoring program (Dalton). When participants return for the March session, they will present the outcomes of their community projects and Fanning Institute faculty will lead a discussion about how the students can sustain and expand the programs.

"The most significant aspect of this project is that at least ten of the students have never participated in a program like this," said Keen. "They had not had the opportunity to view themselves as young people with leadership potential. The hope [with this program] is that what [the students] learn about themselves and each other will awaken the leader within each of them."

For more information about the Latino Youth Leadership Program or other Fanning Institute programs, contact the Fanning Institute at 706/542-1108 or visit www.fanning.uga.edu.

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