Youth Leadership Institute 

The Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership Institute is a high school program designed to support students in developing their leadership skills by serving their community, engaging in conversations surrounding social justice issues, and participating in various cultural enrichment opportunities. Our goal is to help students reach their full potential through support, building meaningful relationships, and encouraging them to be 21st Century compassionate global thinkers. We achieve this by meeting with students each month at their schools during the academic year, providing them with community service opportunities, and college tours, and creating opportunities to grow and learn outside of the traditional classroom. The foundational principles of YLI are vision, communication, empowerment, and implementation.

The Youth Leadership Institute serves a diverse demographic of students from a vast array of ethnic and racial backgrounds. The majority of the students we serve are students of color. However, we do not exclusively serve students of color. Students in all grade levels can benefit from our program.

YLI is comprised of three components: leadership meetings, community service projects, and the Summer Youth Leadership Institute. Leadership meetings can focus on a variety of topics that are meant to supplement information students receive in their core classes, electives, and during the Summer Youth Leadership Institute. We offer a rolling admissions process. Next year we hope to offer a full program including our Summer Youth Leadership Camp.

Check out these pictures from our 2023 Spring Break! 

Scholars went to Asheville, NC, Nashville, and Memphis, TN, Montgomery, AL, and Atlanta, GA.