Youth Leadership

Youth Development Project

Our Youth Development Project serves youth ages 12 to 17 and young adults ages 18 to 24, prioritizing the needs of those impacted by incarceration and immigration, including currently and recently incarcerated youth and recent immigrants from Central America. Our services offer enrichment opportunities for youth and their families through the implementation of educational workshops, recreational activities, and youth development curriculums. El Joven Noble and Xinachtli, the Nahuatl term for “germinating seeds,” are youth development, support, and leadership enhancement programs created by the National Compadres Network to address and prevent risk behavior in adolescents. Homies Unidos has adopted these programs to integrate a culturally relevant approach to discussing identity and purpose with youth living in communities impacted by poverty and violence.

Central American Youth Leadership Conference

Since 2015, Homies Unidos has hosted the annual Central American Youth Leadership Conference, a convening of recent migrants, service providers, and human rights advocates. The convening is led by our Central American Youth Leadership Council and incorporates educational workshops, discussion panels, and resources to empower migrant youth and support their integration to our local community.

8th Annual Central American Youth Leadership Conference

May 31, 2024

Los Angeles Technology Center

Dr. Charles Vela, Founders of S.T.E.M. Program

Join us May 31, 2024 for our 8th Annual Central American Youth Leadership Conference entitle “Pensando an Mi Futuro” (Thinking of My Future") Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Charles Vela. Dr Vela is an immigrant from El Salvador who has been featured in magazines and television recognized for his contributions to science and technology. Dr. Vela is most known for to the STEM program, founded in 1992, a concept for integrating the education of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the schools of Los Angeles and United States and has been used in schools around the world. He has also work to create systems in the IRS, Telecommunications, among other industries