This year’s conference, which was hosted in Sacramento by the Research and Policy Institute of California (RPIC), was held at Sacramento State University. Over the course of the week long conference, students participated in workshops, discussions, and activities, which focused on everything from academic and career planning, to health and wellness, to business and politics.

One notable change to this year’s conference was the addition of an entire day dedicated to reflecting on African American heritage. As RPIC’s Executive Director, Casanya Ursery explains, “preparing these students to be whole leaders does not only mean equipping them for the future, but also helping them to better understand their past.” From a moving presentation by an African dance and drumming troupe, to a lesson on the rich legacy of their African ancestry, the day of reflection left students not only eager to learn more about their past, but also inspired to continue in the tradition of success that has been established by the many men and women who came before them. 2007 AAYLP participant Chezla notes: “before I came here I only knew a little about Africa and our history. I learned a lot of useful information that is going to change my life.”

The conference proved to be a perspective changing experience for many of the students who attended. Not long after arriving at the conference students began to share about themselves with one another; for students such as Jessica, it did not take long to realize that something special and rare was taking place. “It’s not too often that I get a chance to discuss local, cultural, and global issues with a group of fifty bright, motivated, young black men and women,” says Jessica.
It has almost become tradition for RPIC staff to hear students year after year say that before attending AAYLP they had no idea that there were so many other black students like themselves. For that reason it was important to RPIC’s staff that the conference was not the end of the students’ experience. After successful completion of the conference, AAYLP students are admitted into the Society of Leaders (SOL). SOL, a program also run by RPIC, is a network of high achieving young adults, who strive to make a positive impact on the African American community. SOL’s membership will grow each year as a new group of AAYLP alumni is added. While AAYLP may only be a week long program, it is RPIC’s hope that through SOL students will see their experience as the beginning of a lifelong connection. For seventeen year old Simone Johnson, that’s exactly what happened: “I am so honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of AAYLP. This program allowed me to see how powerful we as African Americans can be if we come together.”

Applications for the 2008 AAYLP summer conference will be available online at www.calresearch.org beginning January 14, 2008. For information on how you can sponsor or participate in the 2008 AAYLP summer conference contact us at info@calresearch.org.