2016 Massachusetts Youth Leadership Forum: Date, Location, & Details

Participants in the 2015 YLF receiving certificatesBack in the early 2000s, PYD’s executive director Regina Snowden was the driving force behind bringing the Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) to Massachusetts for the first time. That first YLF was a huge success with over 30 participants, and it has been held annually since then by a number of different hosting organizations. Nearly 15 years later, we’re excited to continue Regina’s vision by hosting the 2016 Youth Leadership Forum in Massachusetts!

If you haven’t heard of it before, the Youth Leadership Forum is an overnight conference for youth and young adults with disabilities held annually in Massachusetts and other states across the country. The goal of the program is for YLF participants to build leadership skills and leave better prepared for future employment, higher education, and independent living. Started in California in 1992, YLF has since spread to over 30 states around the country, including Pennsylvania, Florida, South Dakota, Ohio, Maryland, Idaho, and Arkansas.

Here are the important pieces of information about this year’s YLF in Massachusetts:

Where: July 12-16, 2016
When: Bridgewater State University (Bridgewater, MA)
Who: Youth and young adults with a disability, ages 16-25
Applications: Due May 6th, apply here

YLF is a large event with over 50 youth participants each year, and it would not be possible without close collaboration among numerous organizations across the state. The event is also kept free of charge for participants thanks to funding from the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. Thank you to all our supporters and collaborators for making YLF possible!

You can find the full eligibility requirements, event details, and application form on the YLF webpage. If you have any questions, you can also reach out directly to Susan Nicastro at 617-556-4075 x13 or snicastro@pyd.org. Applications are due by May 6th, so apply today!

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