Our Youth Leadership Academy™ (YLA) is an integrated, comprehensive program offered by Aurora Mental Health & Recovery (AMHR)’s Cultural Development & Wellness Center – formerly a program of Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC) – serving youth in Aurora, Colorado. YLA provides services to foster future leaders in our community, with a mission “to help youth discover their potential to become strong leaders who embrace and balance their cultures and identities.” YLA programming is designed with the following areas of focus: academic enrichment, leadership, career, and social skills development.
We offer several programs throughout the Denver Metro and Aurora areas, which run throughout the school year. YLA has been able to offer various programs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education’s Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the Colorado Health Foundation, and the Share Winter Foundation. These programs offer students a broad array of enriching non-school hour activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children. YLA offers programming both during the school year and during the summer.
YLA has year-round applications, but students are encouraged to sign up at the beginning of the school year or semester.
Please note: After-school homework help is only offered to students who are currently enrolled in YLA programming at Aurora Central High School and Hinkley High School.
Our Youth Leadership Academy™ (YLA) Programs
YLA Aurora Central High School
The Youth Leadership Academy™ (YLA) program offers an array of afterschool clubs to all students at Aurora Central High School. We provide students with a safe space to share commonality with other students through themed clubs. These afterschool clubs are student led which allows for students to cultivate leadership skills.
As community partners, YLA has been able to support the following clubs at Aurora Central High School:
- Anime Club
- Asian American Pacific Islander Club
- Black Student Union
- Chess Club
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Cosmetology Club (coming soon)
In addition to supporting student clubs, we provide real-world experiences through field trips that are related to club activities. The YLA program strives to not only support students through enrichment programming, but we prepare our students with academic and career planning. Enrollment is open throughout the Aurora Public Schools (APS) school year.
For more information or to enroll a student in Aurora Central High School’s YLA program please email Mr. Dollar Lee at DollarLee@AuroraMHR.org.
Meet Our YLA Aurora Central High School Coordinator
Mr. Dollar Lee
DollarLee@AuroraMHR.org
Dollar was a long-time volunteer of Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC) before it became known as AMHR’s Cultural Development & Wellness Center. He was a youth member of APDC’s Youth Leadership Academy™ since 2010 and now works as a Youth Development Support Specialist. Since then, he has found the Cultural Development & Wellness Center to be his second home away from home.
With the involvement of the youth program, he has been able to grow and apply the life and leadership skills he’s learned over the years and obtained a bachelor’s degree in public health/ethnic studies from CU Denver. He is now pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Community and Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health.
Thanks to these transforming experiences, Dollar has been motivated to give back to the youth program in hopes of providing the same opportunities to local youth at Aurora Central High School. He enjoys working with youth as a bridge between students and successes.
He loves to spend his free time with his family and closest friends. He also enjoys a good cheesy dad joke. Bowling has been a new hobby of his and he hopes to become a better bowler in the near future.
YLA Hinkley High School
The Youth Leadership Academy™ (YLA) program offers an array of afterschool clubs to all students at Hinkley High School. We provide students with a safe space to share commonality with other students through themed clubs. These afterschool clubs are student led which allows for students to cultivate leadership skills.
As community partners, YLA has been able to support the following clubs at Hinkley High School:
- Anime Club
- KPOP Club
- Cosmetology Club
- Drumline
- Dungeons & Dragons Club
- HOSA
- Sewing Club
In addition to supporting student clubs, we provide real-world experiences through field trips that are related to club activities. The YLA program strives to not only support students through enrichment programming, but we prepare our students with academic and career planning. Enrollment is open throughout the Aurora Public Schools (APS) school year.
For more information or to enroll a student in Aurora Central High School’s YLA program please email Beteal Alemseghed at BetealAlemseghed@AuroraMHR.org.
Meet Our YLA Hinkley High School Coordinator
Beteal Alemseghed
BetealAlemseghed@AuroraMHR.org
Beteal graduated from high school in Aurora, CO and then completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado Denver where she majored in Human Development and Family Relations with a minor in Sociology, graduating cum laude. During her undergrad she began working in non-profit, specifically with youth and program management.
She holds value in being able to support youth in developing skills that they can rely on as they progress through life. She continues to work with youth to this day, holding several other positions such as Case Manager in the Intensive Services department at Aurora Mental Health & Recovery and school yearbook photographer. Currently she is working on her master's degree in social work. Beteal’s career so far has had a focus on understanding mental wellness and improving overall life quality.
Beteal also enjoys art and having a good time with friends and family.
New American Youth Leadership Council (NAYLC)
Notice: Applications for the New American Youth Leadership Council are currently closed.
The Cultural Development & Wellness Center's New American Youth Leadership Council (NAYLC) will train 15 immigrant and refugee youth leaders of color ages 16 to 21 in various areas of community leadership development with hands-on experience at the local and federal level on issues.
What you will get as a fellow:
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A $350 stipend (contingent on attending 80% of classes & all requirements of the program)
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A professional headshot for job applications
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A resumé and/or personal statement
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Mentorship from an NAYLC alumni in movement/organizing work
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An understanding of the basic tenets of community organizing and building power, knowledge of concepts of Social Action and Power Building, US Government/Policy Structure, Community Education and Civic Engagement, Immigration Legal Services, and Policy and Advocacy through Case Studies
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Meaningful soft and hard leadership and movement-building skills (ie: Public speaking, and movement-building skills)
Meet Our NAYLC Coordinators
Ms. Naureen Singh
NaureenSingh@AuroraMHR.org
Naureen Singh is a Youth Support and Development Specialist at the Aurora Mental Health & Recovery Cultural Development & Wellness Center and works on the New American Youth Leadership Council (NAYLC) portfolio. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado-Boulder and went on to earn her Master of Criminal Justice degree from the University of Colorado-Denver.
Most recently, she researched the impact of COVID-19 on Colorado's Asian American population with hate violence and hate crimes. In addition to her academic work, Naureen has extensive professional experience with grassroots organizing, interfaith coalition building, and community building. She currently serves on Colorado’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Statewide Steering Committee, CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs GOLD Board, and continues to volunteer and provide consulting for education and civil rights organizations. In her free time, Naureen enjoys listening to K-POP music, dancing, and spending quality time with her chihuahua.
Share Winter Foundation
Share Winter Foundation (“Share Winter”) is a grantmaking organization working to improve the lives, health, and fitness of youth through winter sports. Share Winter works closely with carefully selected grantees to build efficient, effective, sustainable winter sports programs and pipelines to ongoing winter sports participation.
Every Saturday for four weeks, YLA members took part in either skiing or snowboarding lessons. Aside from lessons, students were able to learn more about career exploration in the snow and winter sports industry. Many participants had little to no experience in snow sports and were able to face their fears to progress throughout the program. This partnership with Share Winter and YLA strives to make a difference in the winter sports industry by making it accessible and inclusive to all.
Space is limited. So, we require that all program recruits participate in all four ski trips.
Meet Our YLA Program Director
Mr. Habakkuk Ammishaddai
HabakkukAmmishaddai@AuroraMHR.org
Habakkuk Ammishaddai is an honor graduate of the Metropolitan State University of Denver, where he received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and criminology with a sociology minor. Habakkuk has amassed over 30 years of experience working with at-risk youth and teens in Illinois and Michigan. He has also developed successful youth programs here in Colorado.
Habakkuk is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Army, in which he worked with nuclear missile weapon systems. Habakkuk has been recognized for his work within one of our local schools in the Aurora Public School system – receiving the 2018 Shaping the Future award.
In his spare time, Habakkuk enjoys writing and spending time with his family.