OED Stories
Hispanic Youth Leadership Summit at Moscow U of I
By Maritza Duenas | Nov. 8, 2023
On Nov. 8, University of Idaho welcomed high school students from various regions in Idaho to explore the campus and learn about their post-secondary options through the Hispanic Youth Leadership Summit (HYLS). Many students at HYLS came up through the Department of Education’s GEAR UP Program. GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs and is designed to increase the number of low-income students who want to enter a post-secondary program at a college or university through national discretionary grants. GEAR UP funds are also used to provide students with services that prepare them for post-secondary education and to provide students who engage with the program with scholarships. GEAR UP Idaho is currently one of the only programs in the state that focuses on addressing the ever-growing gap between family income and the cost of post-secondary education in Idaho.
HYLS takes place in Idaho with students from different schools like Shaila and Yamileth from Connell, WA. They got to experience different campuses and learned about different courses and careers offered by various colleges, such as U of I, Lewis-Clark State College and Washington State University. Another student, Jose Mejia, stated that HYLS helped to connect him with different colleges to view the variety of programs they offer. Jose met new friends and new people from different schools and is considering going to Lewis-Clark State College for diesel mechanics or welding.
HYLS gave students the opportunity to explore the beautiful campus of U of I and enjoy performances by the Vandal Nation Drum Group, Ballet Folklorico de Washington State University and Mariachi Leones del Monte. Workshops that covered topics such as professional development, career and technical education and financial aid were also present. Many colleges here at U of I also exhibited their programs and what they had to offer in a smaller-scale college fair and were accompanied by colleges from Lewis-Clark State College and Boise State University.