Youth Leadership Initiative

Wilder's Youth Leadership Initiative is a community leadership program for high school students to strengthen self-awareness, develop cross-cultural leadership skills, and to put skills learned into action in a multicultural and global community.
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About the Youth Leadership Initiative
Program Overview
The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) is a cohort model of learning. Young people apply and are selected to be in a learning cohort that meets consistently over a period of time. In YLI, learning happens through active engagement, listening and doing, reflection, a mixture of small and large group activities, storytelling and peer mentoring. The structure of YLI is youth centered. In addition to youth participants determining the focus of cultural exploration sessions and community issues to be addressed, a team of youth mentors are selected to return and be peer leaders in the program. The roles of adults are to support, encourage, share knowledge and power, and create access and opportunity. Youth and adults work together as colleagues and learn from one another.
Program Length & Format
8 months (November - May)
- Youth/Parent Orientation
- Weekly After-School Sessions
- Weekend Youth Leadership Retreat
- Graduation
Program Activities That Help Youth Build Leadership Skills
Leadership Retreats
At three retreats, youth participate in experiential learning activities that help them to understand who they are as individuals and how to work with others.
Youth Action Projects
Youth identify community issues they are passionate about and create service projects that address those issues.
Cultural Exploration Sessions
Youth explore their own culture and how heritage impacts leadership style and personal development. Youth also develop cross-cultural understanding by sharing and learning about other people’s experiences.
Academic and Job-Readiness Support
Youth explore and develop skills that will help them navigate professionalism, college readiness, career and life after high school. YLI also offers academic tutoring.
Participant Requirements
YLI is grounded in the belief that all young people have the potential to benefit our community with their skills, talents and unique perspectives. We do not screen only for those youth who are “in trouble” or those who are “above average.” As a result, we bring together a truly diverse cohort of youth. They are diverse in their interests, ethnic backgrounds, family structures, country of birth, “crowd” at school, grade point average and so much more. These youth spend a year together building solid trusting relationships. For many, it changes their life. Participants must:
- Be in grades 9-12
- Live in Saint Paul or the East Metro area
- Reflect diversity of the community
- Commit to attending program sessions for one school year


Youth Stories, Evaluation Research & YLI's Impact


Why Multiculturalism Matters for Local and Global Youth Leadership
How can multiculturalism empower people of many races, ethnicities and cultures to live and work in harmony not only in the US but also around the world? ... Read the article »Youth Mentors: A Model of Peer Leadership
Read the report »Youth Leadership Initiative: 2018-19 Outcome Report
Read the report »Youth Leadership Initiative: 2015-16 Program Evaluation, Summary
Read the report »Youth Leadership Initiative Evaluation Results: 2015 Impact Study
Read the report »
The Youth Leadership Initiative Empowered Me to Believe that My Voice Matters and I Can Make a Difference
Hello everyone, I am Theng Yeng Xiong, an alumna of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation Youth Leadership initiative. The Youth Leadership Initiative is a multicultural leadership program that develops and equips young people to be leaders i...More about this story »

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant to the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a special legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.