January 2026 marks our fifth birthday as a nonprofit organization!

Check out this video series to see how our program has impacted youth over the last five years!

Cultivating change- makers by catalyzing leadership pathways for youth in our communities.

We’re reshaping a world where Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx and other youth have the power, support, resources, and collective voice to become advocates for themselves and to transform their communities.

Discover our mission, values, and impact:

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“It is great to be part of a program that reminds youth they have the agency to change things.”

— Adewale (Philip) Adenodi,
Youth Leadership Initiative Volunteer

Explore the ways you can support and get involved with us:

About
Our Program

About
Our
Team

Vision,
Mission,
& Values

Stay updated on what we’re up to!

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LINK IN BIO: PART II - FLOWERS OF THE DANDELION

To celebrate the Youth Leadership Initiative’s 5th year as a non-profit organization, we spoke to some of our current and former youth participants about how YLI has helped them explore their pas

LINK IN BIO: PART III - SEEDS OF THE DANDELION

To celebrate the Youth Leadership Initiative’s 5th year as a non-profit organization, we spoke to some of our current and former youth participants about how YLI has helped them explore their past

LINK IN BIO: PART I - ROOTS OF THE DANDELION

To celebrate the Youth Leadership Initiative’s 5th year as a non-profit organization, we spoke to some of our current and former youth participants about how YLI has helped them explore their past,

Stay safe and vigilant.

YLI presents… INSPIRATION DINNER 2026: HONORING OUR NORTH STARS

WHEN: Thursday, March 19th from 6-8PM
WHERE: Arlington Hills Community Center
DRESS CODE: semi-formal

Inspiration Dinner is a YLI tradition centered around our commitment to pub

Scroll through to see how our participants created their own mini-exhibition in response to this question: What is a story of yours that is missing from the MN History Museum?

Last Saturday, we gathered on a crisp and cold Minnesota morning at the MN History Center for a day of learning and reflection (and a little bit of competition)!
During this session, we explored the concept of bias—how it influences perceptions

On Saturday, November 15th, we hosted our first Cultural Session for the 2025-26 program year! Cultural Sessions are field trips around the Twin Cities which offer our youth the opportunity to learn about our cities’ rich histories and make con

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