The Eastern Coachella Valley Leadership Program is designed to empower youth and honor the need to create sustainable communities. Pueblo Unido’s goal is to offer the participants an extremely unique opportunity to develop skills and obtain tools that will enable them to further understand the needs of their communities, become effective leaders and engage in the advocacy efforts to leverage critical resources that will improve the lives of the residents of the East Coachella Valley. Participants engage in a hands-on learning experience over the course of the academic school year through a structured leadership curriculum, civic engagement, networking, and community involvement opportunities. The program draws on the knowledge, skills, and most importantly life experiences of those in the room, augmented by the lessons in the curriculum.

The program is open to low-income high school juniors and seniors attending high school in the Eastern Coachella Valley. The training will take place over a nine-month period from September 2023 to May 2024 for a total of 10 scheduled meetings. The participants meet both virtually and in person to work on the curriculum and apply the skills learned through participation in community events and other related activities. In addition, the participants can engage in PUCDC’s advocacy efforts and become involved in projects related to housing, infrastructure, and local economic development. The involvement in projects such as afforestation, disaster prevention and water quality education allow participants to have a direct impact in their communities. Furthermore, the program offers opportunities to network with local leaders, organizations, and agencies. The program also aims to serve as a resource for the participants as they prepare to make the transition into higher education.