Leadership Programs (Southern Arizona Region)
These programs and services provide three main content areas: Leadership, Wellness, and Education. All programs integrate a cultural foundation and focus, encourage civic engagement and advocacy, and strengthen mind, body, spirit and community. Activities include youth development opportunities through leadership conferences, retreats, cultural development training, public health education, skill building, scholarship assistance, and mentoring.
CPLC Youth Center
250 N. Silverbell Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85745
520-791-9855 - p
Contact: Laura Luna Bellucci – PSC, Southern Region
Jesus ‘Chucho’ Ruiz – Prevention & Cultural Specialist
Tucson Youth Center (Centro Juvenile)
The Youth Center is an after-school resource facility and summer recreation center for youth in grades 4 through 12. Activities and resources aim to provide educational support, promote positive attitudes and interpersonal relationships, and create a safe and supportive environment. Computers with internet access are available on site to assist youth in completing school work and class projects. Public health information, resources, and referrals are also available for youth and families. Staff are bilingual and bicultural.
Nahui Ollin Wellness Program
This school-based youth wellness program uses a culturally-based curriculum provided in 20 sessions aimed at increasing knowledge about substance abuse, violence (human oppression), and sexually transmitted diseases, improving healthy decision making, building resiliency skills among high school youth. This is an effective and comprehensive culturally based character and leadership development and substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention program provided at local high schools as part of their regularly scheduled classroom. The Nahui Ollin curriculum stresses the need for optimal health of mind, body, spirit, and community through the incorporation of activities that explore history, self-empowerment, family dynamics, communication, and leadership development.
Locations: Tucson High Magnet School
Toltecalli High School
Hiaki High School
Corazon de Aztlan Youth Leadership
Thirty high school youth from across Tucson are selected to participate in this 3.5 day retreat in Tumacacori annually. The overall objective of the retreat is to develop character and leadership among youth by strengthening confidence levels, self-efficacy, community involvement, and interpersonal relationship skills. The youth participate in interactive workshops on topics such as culture, history, leadership, self-empowerment, gender roles, team building, and civic responsibility.
Location: Event hosted at Pocket Sanctuary at Kenyon Ranch
Tumacacori, AZ
Querer Es Poder (Desire is Power) Eighth Grade Scholarship Program
The QEP Annual Scholarship Program provides scholarship opportunities to middle school students. The scholarship program aims to motivate youth to graduate from high school and provide a financial incentive to pursue post-secondary education. To be eligible, students must be nominated by their teachers, after which the student submits an essay on a selected theme. A committee made up of community leaders review and score essays. Winners receive a $1,000 scholarship award that is placed in an endowment fund until the student enrolls into an institution of higher education.
Participating Middle Schools: Challenger, Chaparral, Amphitheater, Sierra, Pistor, Billy Lane Lauffer, Maxwell, Apollo and Wakefield
Xinachtli Leadership Development Conference
This annual one-day conference offers leadership development and training activities focused on social justice and community issues facing the Latino community. The overall goal is to encourage youth to give back to their community through civic engagement and advocacy. All workshops and activities are provided within a cultural context by community members and agencies. Topics include La Cultura Cura (Culture Cures), Mi Futuro (My Future), Mi Salud (My Health), Mi Comunidad (My Community), and In Lakech (Tu Eres Mi Otro Yo).
Participating Schools: CPLC Community Schools