McDonald’s Latino Youth Leader of the Month Award

Information and Nomination Form

Releases
LCDA Release (Spanish)
LCDA Release (English)
COX Media Publicity (Spanish)
COX Media Publicity (English)

Links:

• http://lcdalatinoleaders.com

The Latino Community Development Agency, in conjunction with Cox communications and McDonald’s desire to develop a program aimed at identifying and honoring student leaders among the Latino community. These young people are those, who by their actions and lifestyles exemplify community leadership to the entire community.

Program Purpose

The Education Committee will coordinate the program in cooperation with all participating Public School District superintendents and area principals. The purpose is to select one candidate each month, and honor him/her for a month through the use of 30 second vignettes on both Spanish and English speaking networks, including Univision, that will position these young leaders as instant heroes in their communities. It will show the entire youth population that recognition comes from the pursuit of the positive virtues, such as leadership, volunteer service and good academic standards.

Awarded young leaders will be part on the meetings and/or summit organized nationwide by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), a Latino organization that promotes the Latino youth leaders of the nation. The National Council of La Raza was founded in 1968 as a private, non-profit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization established to reduce poverty and discrimination, and improve life opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Today, it is considered by many as the nation’s premiere Hispanic Think Tank.

Identified Population

The targeted group is High School students in grades 11^th and 12^th. Young people at this age group are role models for younger kids.

The students are selected based on an application submitted by the Principal, teacher, and/or counselor of the High School. The applications are evaluated on a 100 points score.  Each school will nominate one candidate each month from which one student will be selected to receive the “McDonald’s Latino Youth Leader of the Month Award.”

To participate, the Principal needs to complete the attached form and materials requested below, and send it to:

Latino community Development Agency-LCDA
Education Committee
Riverside Community Center
420 S.W. 10th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73109

The due date to submit the application materials is the first Wednesday of each month, starting on September 2010.

Qualifications of the Candidates
1. Demonstrate the pride of their Hispanic heritage, be bilingual or demonstrate effort of becoming bilingual.
2. Be a student in good standing.
3. Be active participant in extra-curricular activities and/or volunteer activities.
4. have a minimum of 3.0 grade point average.

Application Materials to be submitted by the Principal
1. Fully completed application (Nomination Form-Page 1).
2. Official school transcripts of grades or other official verification of GPA.
3. Written short paragraph of approximately 80 words from the candidate in response to the following questions:
A. As a bilingual person, how will you remain a part of the community to contribute to its sustained improvement?
B. What are your goals: What do you want to be doing 5 years from now? 10 years from now?
C. Why do you consider yourself a leader?
4. One letter of recommendation from a non-relative teacher, counselor or community leader supporting why the candidate is considered a leader.

The applicants are evaluated based on 100 points score according to the following criteria:
1. Question A Maximum 10 points
2. Question B Maximum 10 points
3. Question C Maximum 10 points
4. Letter of recommendation Maximum 50 points
5. GPA Maximum 20 points (only during the academic year)

Application Procedure

The program will kick off in the beginning of each academic year and the name of the youth selected should be sent to the Latino Clubs Coordinator.  After reviewing that all materials were submitted the Latino Clubs Coordinator will forward the paperwork to the Education Committee members by the first Friday of each month.  Each Educational Committee member will complete the candidate evaluation form with their final scores to the Latino Clubs Coordinator.  The person with the higher average scores will be selected as the McDonald’s Latino Youth Leader of the Month.  The Latino Clubs Coordinator will officially inform Cox Communications and the corporate sponsor of the results on a monthly basis.

Rewards for the Youth Leaders

The program, through the use of 30-second vignettes on both Spanish and English-speaking networks, including Univision, will position these young leaders as instant heroes. It would show the entire youth population that recognition comes from the pursuit of positive virtues, such as leadership, volunteer service and good academic standards.

All nominees receive a certificate and are honored at the LCDA Senior Banquet.  Besides the recognition during one month on TV, the recipients of the award will be offered the opportunity to participate in the youth summit organized by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).  NCLR is the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the Unites States that works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

By keeping our young people motivated to focus on leadership virtues, and academic excellence the Oklahoma business communities will benefit by molding the foundations for productive citizens who will, as adults, impact the community and will be our leaders of the future.

A wonderful byproduct of this program is that we have become a selection process for area universities.  Both the youth selected each month and those nominated represent the educational elite of Latino students.

Thanks to the McDonald’s Latino Youth Leader of the Month Program, we are able to educate the next generation of Latino leaders.