Meet Young Leaders in Action—and be one of them next year! 

2018-2019 YLA applications due May 4
Do you know a high school sophomore or junior in the Portland area who is interested in world affairs, cultures, and collaborating with their peers? Click here for more information and to apply today!

As our WorldOregon Young Leaders in Action (YLA) participants wrap their 2017-2018 year of meetings and service projects, we’re excited to tell you more about them, and invite other Portland-area teens to apply for our 2018-2019 program. The transformational youth-led program teams up 20 high school students from across Portland each year who are interested in world affairs, cultures, and strengthening their collaboration skills. YLA is free for successful applicants.

“Young Leaders in Action has meant so much for me,” said Raimy, a current WorldOregon YLA participant. “I’ve been given space to be myself, to geek out on my global interests, and feel those around me genuinely care what I’m saying. I learned about peer collaboration and the importance of being active within a community.”

Wondering what kind of people participate in the program? Here is a sampling of the amazing work in which these Portland-area student leaders have been involved:

• Kamala Ghanea-Bassiri launched a zine focusing on students with marginalized identities at Lake Oswego High School, a blog to share stories about people experiencing houselessness, and began an internship at Portland-Meet-Portland where she is helping to produce a podcast on the concept of citizenship.
 
• Ethan Eisner organized a youth town hall for Portland-area teens to discuss the issues that are important to them with local, state, and federal representatives.
 
• Salman Najjar created a film for the Portland Art Museum’s The HeART of Portland, a Portland Public Schools arts showcase.
 
• Sagarika Ramachandra was a guest on OPB’s Think Out Loud to discuss an expose she conducted on allegations of sexual misconduct at Lincoln High School. As a follow-up to her investigation, she is working on self-advocacy training with youth and teachers at the school.
 
We’re proud of our 2017-2018 YLA participants. We’re truly inspired by your dedication to take action locally and globally for a better tomorrow. Stay tuned for recent photos of the "graduation" event, and more information about the amazing projects these students did as the focus of their program!