Ghanaian Adinkra Symbol
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change we seek.
-President Barak Obama
The Youth Leadership Academy (YLA)
Youth Career and Parent Summit 2024
TO REGISTER RETURN TO THE
To request more information click on the email below:
Mission: We aim to be a facilitator in exposing students to career pathways and to support them in the discovery of their interests and strengths and design of their future.
Vision: To assist students in maximizing their fullest potential.
Objectives:
- Identify student strengths and alignment of those strengths with career choices.
- Enforce the value of preparation.
- Foster the students’ pursuit of leadership.
- Instill in the students an awareness of civic responsibility and engagement.
The Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) is a youth organization focused on supporting 6th-12th graders in designing their future by coordinating workshops and programs for the students and their parents. YLA was founded in 2008 with the goal of enriching the lives of our young people through early exposure to both traditional, and non-traditional, careers through presentations and workshops by career professionals and leaders throughout our community. Please find below the Mission, Vision and Objectives of the YLA.
For more than a decade the YLA has coordinated an annual Career and Parent Summit. Speakers have ranged from corporate, medical, engineering, education, skill trades, and entrepreneurial professions, just to name a few. Some of our speakers included Dr. Chandra Gill, BlackAcademically Speaking; Mr. James Jenkins, Jenkins Construction; Dr. Lanetta Coleman, Chief of OBGYN, Sinai-Grace Hospital; Mr. Marvin Beatty, Greektown Casino.
We facilitate parent workshops in which we present on topics such as scholarships, college readiness, and preparation for developing future leaders. In addition, we facilitate student workshops in which we provide a more personalized approach by using small group breakout sessions that foster interaction between our students and our career leaders. One of our specific areas of focus is on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) workshops for 6th -8th graders. In addition, we strive to provide information and awareness on non-traditional and skill trade careers.
