The California Department of Education, Special Education Division, on behalf of the California Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (CCEPD), requests assistance in delivering this information regarding the Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) to high school students with disabilities.
The YLF is an annual leadership program that provides information and resources for high school students with disabilities on a wide range of subjects, including employment, education, independence, and assistive technology. Students will have the opportunity to interact with their peers and staff to develop long-lasting friendships and networking opportunities.
The YLF will take place from (tentatively) July 11–17, 2020, at California State University, Sacramento. There is no program or travel cost for parents to pay. All selected delegates’ expenses are sponsored through a public-private partnership.
The 2020 application and related documents, including an outreach flyer, can be found here. Please provide this information to any organizations and contacts you have that work with youth to help us get a diverse and qualified group of applicants. An informational guide about the YLF program is published on the DOR web page here.
Students must complete an application, write an essay, and provide letters of recommendation. Students will also be interviewed by a team in their local communities. This is a competitive process and not all students will be selected. YLF applications must be completed electronically and emailed to ylf@dor.ca.gov.
For additional information, please contact Timothy Nash, Associate Governmental Program Analyst, California Department of Education, Special Education Division, by phone at 916-319-0465 or by email at tnash@cde.ca.gov; or Matt Traverso, Associate Governmental Program Analyst, California Department of Education, Special Education Division, by phone at 916-327-3690 or by email at mtraverso@cde.ca.gov.