This Fall, Teens Play an Active Role in Funding NCLR’s Líderes Initiative

By Berenice Bonilla

My primary mission at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is to develop student leadership in communities throughout the country and foster civic empowerment among rising Latino leaders. As manager of the Líderes Initiative, I have been able to witness the impact of our national and regional youth conferences on the lives of visionary young people who are trying each day to move a little closer toward their goals. Our members have a strong desire to give back to their community and create opportunities for their peers. Over the last few months, I have been able to facilitate a new program that allows young people to contribute in a very unique way.

This past August, Best Buy launched the second round of its @15 Exchange challenge. By completing online educational activities, young people are given the chance to direct $250,000 of the company’s charitable donations to their program or initiative of choice, making them the drives of change.

We reached out to the youth in our national network, including more than 70 high school students in the NCLR Escalera Program, and mobilized teens in after-school programs and online communities to participate in the @15 Exchange. The effort resulted in $25,000 of funding being directed to support the Líderes Initiative. These new funds will allow us to continue providing opportunities for young people to succeed, grow, and advocate for the rights of underserved communities.

We found that the simplicity of the program made it appealing to young people. One of the students in the program noted, “I like that we were able to pick out who we wanted to donate our points to.” Through partnerships such as these, we hope to continue to engage youth in activities that allow them to make a difference in practical ways, putting the power to give into the hands of our nation’s young people.