Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Zeta Nu Omega Chapter members launched the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) at Lincoln Elementary School, located at 170 E Lincoln Avenue, in Mount Vernon, NY on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
This was the first meeting of the program which allowed the 23 students and chapter members to interact over pizza and icebreakers, followed by the development poster boards filled with pictures, words, and drawings of things that describe themselves during the Identity Web activity. Students were overjoyed when Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard dropped by for a visit.
The group also discussed leadership roles that they hope to take on. Plus, they visited the greenhouse where they brainstormed ideas for their upcoming greenhouse project.
“The Youth Leadership Institute is one of the initiatives part of our sorority’s focus,” Zeta Nu Omega Chapter President Karen Williams said. “These programs will run through 2026, so we will have this program every year until then. Children are the future of the world and it’s critical for them to have these leadership skills early in their lives. I am excited to see the impact this will have on them.”
The students were supported by 14 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. members part of both Zeta Nu Omega Chapter and Omicron Eta Chapter, which is an undergraduate city chapter in Westchester County, NY.
YLI is a youth-led and highly interactive leadership development program designed to empower and engage youth, ages 11-13. This program is just one of many that is part of the sorority’s strong history of supporting and servicing families and communities.
The sorority wants to uplift families by supporting and working with the younger generation to develop leadership skills. The program will focus on social activism, emergency preparedness, community service, and several other topics.
