Alameda County Youth Leadership Academy
Educate - Communicate - Collaborate
The Alameda County Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) is a free, educational program that enables high school youth to learn about local government while completing a career development and job readiness program alongside their peers. This award-winning program emphasizes interaction, engagement, and collaboration amongst cohort members and County leadership as participants learn and understand the County's programs and services, while building technical skills to solve community-based issues.
The program is facilitated by staff from the County Administrator's Office and each session is hosted by a different County agency/department. At each session, staff, department heads, or elected officials make presentations and facilitate group discussions regarding the role and programs offered by the hosting departments as well as incorporate team exercises so that participants can apply what they have learned.
The Academy consists of five Saturday morning sessions (8:30am - 12:30pm) that focus on different aspects of County services such as Heath Care, Social Services, Public Protection, the County budget and Careers. Each session provides a forum for participants to learn, speak out and be heard about issues that affect youth and their communities.
The 2018 Alameda County Youth Leadership Academy will be held from September 2018 to December 2018 on the following dates at County facilities throughout Alameda County:
- September 15th 2018
- October 13th 2018
- October 20th 2018
- November 17th 2018
- December 15th 2018
The application period is open from August 6th, 2018 to August 25th, 2018.
When enrollment is open, please click here to apply.
To be eligible, applicants must be a high school junior or senior at a school within Alameda County, and reside in Alameda County. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis with consideration given to geographic location to ensure representation of all five Board of Supervisors districts.