MEChA's Youth Empowerment Conference

The MEChA Youth Empowerment Conference’s purpose is the outreach of Chicanx/Latinx middle school, high school, continuation high school and community college students from California and neighboring states in an effort to reach out to future change makers that have been historically underrepresented in institutions of higher education and often find themselves marginalized by institutions that were not created with them in mind. This includes youth that come from low income families, undocumented students, and experience other sources of marginalization, as we believe they are members of the Latinx/Chicanx community that are need access not just to resources, but support and empowerment. We are expecting anywhere from 1200-1500 youth from across the southern California region to From its inception, MEChA Youth Empowerment Conference was established to create a long lasting effect within the underserved, Chicanx/Latinx community. The goal of the conference is to empower students holistically, that is through self reflection, academics and culture. RYC serves as a platform to promote and distribute knowledge of issues that are relevant to the students’ community, as well as distribute and provide knowledge and resources that will guide students in their path to higher education. We seek to ensure the upward mobility and betterment of all students and Raza community. We also hope that students and RYC attendees create a chain reaction in the sense that the knowledge and experiences are carrying out into their own communities, schools, and interactions. Motivating and affirming these students and their families is instrumental in the battle against systematic social controls which restrict access and retention in institutions of higher education.

mechadeucla@gmail.com

Signatories: Veronica Macias, Joshua Perez, and Johana Resendiz

Advisor: Orlando Luna