Through a sustainable and measurable model for Latino leadership, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) leverages long-standing programs, platforms, and relationships to identify Latino leaders as high school students and provide resources and programs for them as they matriculate through college and into the workforce. While in college our students go into Latino communities to inspire fellow Latino youth. As our students graduate from college we then prepare them for graduate school or the workforce on a management track in various industries as interns or full-time hires.

Our model of identifying, inspiring, and placing Latino leaders into management positions in both the public and private sector is the reason President Obama called HHF’s programs “creative, sustainable and measurable in dealing with the need for leadership going forward for America’s largest minority.”

The following is a quick glance at HHF’s year-round youth programs.   
 

Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards:

Since 1998, this national leadership program identifies, inspires, prepares and positions a vetted network of Latino high school seniors who have excelled in the classroom and community in various categories including: Science, Math, Education, Engineering, Healthcare, Business & Finance, Technology, and Innovation. A teacher is also honored in each region. 

After receiving 10,000 applications (all applicants are invited to join the HHF Network – not just the selected Youth Awardees) after a national search through social media, celebrity-based PSAs, a partnership with over 6,000 high schools, media, elected officials and business and community organizations – HHF honors hundreds of Latino high school seniors during special ceremonies at partner universities in the 10 regions.  Regions include San Jose/San Francisco-Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Austin/San Antonio, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Miami, Washington, DC, and New York/Philadelphia/New Jersey.

A National Youth Awards ceremony is executed after one national recipient is selected in each of the categories.  A celebrity is also honored for serving as a role model to Latino Youth.  In 2010, Actress America Ferrera was honored along with seven National Youth Awardees on Capitol Hill with Grammy-winning Singer Luis Enrique performing.  MTV filmed vignettes of the students as part of HHF’s public awareness campaign to promote the positives Latino youth offer America and promote them as role models.

To meet America’s need for leadership, the young leaders are provided with leadership training and funneled into HHF’s other programs while being tracked as they move forward into the workforce and communities beyond college.  The median GPA for the Youth Awardees is more than a 3.5 and are well rounded in terms of service, leadership and accomplishments. 

One of HHF's signature programs, the 13 year old Youth Awards, has been revamped and changes include:    

• Applications and Search: 2011 Juniors in high school (not seniors) of Latino descent with a minimum 3.0 GPA  can apply and the award ceremonies will take place in the Fall when they are seniors in order to facilitate new time-line.
• New Time-line: Application drive to begin - April.   Collection of applications - June and July.  Regional Ceremonies - September - December.  National Ceremony - January 2012
• Community Project and Educational Grants: Students can choose to use the grants for their college education or to fund a community service effort the student will plan, oversee and sustain in an effort to encourage social entrepreneurship, volunteerism and sharing knowledge to other young leaders through social networking.
• 2011 Regions:  Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, San Jose/Bay Area, Phoenix, Chicago, Miami, New York/Philadelphia/New Jersey, and Greater Washington D.C.
• 2011 Youth Award Categories: Business, Community Service, Education, Engineering and Math, and Healthcare.

New regions can be added with funding. 

To apply visit: http://hhfawards.hispanicheritage.org/

LOFT (Latinos on Fast Track):

This year-round workforce development program works with sponsors to identify, recruit, prepare, and place emerging Latino professionals into the workforce and on a leadership path – with a special focus on business, STEM and Green fields.  The LOFT team works with human resource or diversity teams of major corporations and companies in various industries to place prospects in internships or full-time positions in key fields.  LOFT holds events that provide a platform for the sponsor to make an impact in key regions where the LOFT team brings together more than a hundred emerging Latino professionals who are interested in specific fields including engineering, research, sciences, sales, business and marketing, accounting, technology, education, retail, home building, and environmental issues.

Speakers Bureau:

Research has found that Latinos needing guidance outside the home more than any other segment of population in terms of education and career choice among other issues yet have less access to guidance counselors or parents about their education or career path – which are why HHF developed this program. 

This outreach program features past and present Youth Awards recipients visiting grade schools, high schools, and community centers to provide inspiration and a vision for younger Latinos to succeed by providing their own stories as a realistic pathway for success.  The “near peer” program reaches thousands of youth by providing role models who stay in touch through social networking. The younger students follow the path of the Speakers as they attend college, work in internships and even get on a career track.  The program also delivers important messages about career or educational opportunities in STEM, business, education and other fields as well as messages about healthy lifestyles and financial literacy.