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Yosemite Leadership Program: Year 2

Yosemite Leadership Program:

Year 2 Social Change Practicum

 

The Yosemite Leadership Program (YLP) strives to be the premier student environmental leadership program in the nation. The YLP will foster synergy among government, business, and academia to develop tomorrow's thoughtful, ethical, and innovative leaders. In partnership with the Yosemite National Park Service, the Wilderness Education Center, and the Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center at UC Merced, we work together to educate and inspire environmental advocacy and social change through skilled, ethical, innovative, and intentional actions while respecting cultural heritage and community. 

Year Two: Social Change Practicum

The Yosemite Leadership Program will open applications for the 2024- 2026 cohort in August! The YLP Fall 2024 Social Change Practicum will take place on Wednesdays 6:00pm - 7:00pm from September 11th, 2024 - December 11th, 2024. 

The second year of YLP consists of a community-based, applied capstone project, practical leadership development curriculum, opportunities to mentor local high school students, community volunteer hours and workshops. Projects are developed in partnership with community-serving programs and/or UC Merced student groups and provide students with real-world experience in executing projects from design to implementation. Sessions take place on campus every Wednesday during the academic year from 6:00pm - 7:30pm. The program also includes 2 overnight retreats to Yosemite National Park in the academic year. 

"The capstone experience taught me the process of planning, proposing, executing, and reporting a project. I learned to shoot for the stars to land on the moon when it comes to outreach. I also learned how to be assertive and set boundaries in a team setting" - 2022 - 2024 YLP Participant

"My leadership skills have really expanded because of this 2-year experience. I've  learned many life skills to be a better person. The space provided by this program gave me a safety net to fall back on when I need support and resources." 2022 - 2024 YLP Participant