The first Youth Leader Conference to be held in Washington will take place July 24-29 at Washington State University. The conference, organized by the National Hispanic Institute (NHI), trains 9th-12th grade Latino students to be leaders in the Latino community.
The conference will focus on economics and students will learn and debate about different economic issues. On Saturday July 28, student teams will hold a final debate.
“WSU offered to host the conference because of all the benefits involved,” said Lydia Ruelas, NHI’s regional director for the Northwest. “WSU wants to be part of the changes that are happening in the Latino community in Washington. At the same time, the school wants to attract top Latino students to the campus.”
There are 75 Latino students enrolled to attend the conference, mostly form Washington but with a few coming from Oregon too, said Ruelas. “All students are top of the class, and have been nominated by their teachers or counselors,” she said.
Hometowns from where students are coming from include Delano, Earlimart, Grandview, Granger, Hermiston, Kennewick, Mabton, Moses Lake, Pasco, Quincy, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Walla Walla and Yakima.
Students had to raise the funds necessary to attend the conference, about $525 per person. The NHI founders charge a fee for the conference because they believe students and their parents should invest in the children’s education, Ruelas said. “If families make an investment, it increases the appreciation for the program and guarantees attendance,” she said.
Yolanda Flores Niemann, professor of comparative ethnic studies at WSU will welcome program participants at 2:30 p.m. July 24. Some of the events scheduled for the conference include campus tours for students and parents and an ice cream social, but most of the time students will be working in groups, waking up at 7 a.m. and going back to their rooms at 11 p.m.
Ernesto Nieto, president and founder of NHI, will welcome parents and students during the first day of the conference. He will be available to media representatives. For more information or a more complete schedule of events contact Ruelas at 509-480-0593 or lruelas@nhimail.com.
