Leadership Begins Here: Support LAYLA

“Discover Voice. Build Power. Lead with Purpose”

LAYLA (Leadership Academy: Youth Leaders in Action) empowers K–12 students in Napa to discover their voice, lead with confidence, and build lasting connections to culture, community, and purpose.

Rooted in cultural pride and social justice, LAYLA centers first-generation, Latinx youth who have faced systemic barriers, creating school-based spaces where students grow as leaders, celebrate their identity, and reimagine what’s possible for themselves and their communities.

What is LAYLA?

LAYLA (Leadership Academy: Youth Leaders in Action) is a long-standing youth leadership and empowerment program that has been rooted in Napa since 2007.

Serving elementary, middle, and high school students, many of whom are first-generation, English learners, or youth of color LAYLA creates school-based spaces where young people discover their voice, build confidence, and lead with purpose.

The program focuses on:

  • Academic and college readiness

  • Leadership and public speaking

  • Mental health and confidence building

  • Cultural identity and healing

  • Civic engagement and Community action

LAYLA isn’t just preparing youth for the future, it’s equipping them to lead now. 

Why It Matters

Too often, leadership programs aren’t built for students like ours, young people who are navigating language barriers, financial stress, racism, or immigration-related challenges.

All students in Napa deserve access to leadership pathways that honor their culture, language, and lived experience. But access to these opportunities is far from equitable.

LAYLA changes that. It’s a space where:

  • Students build academic and public speaking skills

  • Youth connect with their cultural identity and lived experiences

  • Teens grow into confident, community-rooted leaders

  • Families and mentors support their journey every step of the way

LAYLA is closing the academic gap. Through mentorship, culturally responsive curriculum, and peer connection, students gain the tools to excel academically, emotionally, and socially.

Make A Contribution:

With a $60,000 goal, we’ll be able to sustain current programming, expand enrollment, increase college and cultural trips, and deepen family and community engagement.

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