Youth Fellows Program
Cultivating the Leaders of Tomorrow
Looking to expand your leadership capacity?
Complete an interest form today!
Youth Fellows Program
Coro’s Youth Fellows Program (YFP) is a 6-week immersive, cohort-based summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors. This program is designed to foster the next generation of Southern California leaders, educating them not just about public life and institutions, but also how they can be more effective advocates and ambassadors for their communities. Participants leave the program with an understanding of how Los Angeles operates, stronger communication and analytical skills, more confidence, and a network of Coro alumni eager to support their career development.
“As their mentor, I could see the growth in each of my students who participated in the Youth Fellows Program. They blossomed intellectually and gained confidence. Both students applied early to colleges and both were accepted…They both wrote about their experiences in the Youth Fellows Program in their college essays. I believe that the trajectory of their lives will forever be transformed as a result of their experiences in the program.”
ABOUT
PROGRAM DETAILS
WHY THE YOUTH FELLOWS
WHO SHOULD APPLY
APPLICATION INFORMATION AND FAQs
ABOUT
Through Coro’s Youth Fellows Program, high school students learn to become active citizens in their schools and communities by using the county as a classroom. Coro selects a cohort of fifteen high school students from across the Southern California region to participate in a rigorous six-week, full-time summer program structured to deepen their leadership skills. Depending on the recommendations put forth by Los Angeles County health officials, the program will run in-person or virtual. YFP will run from Monday June 26 – Friday, August 4, 2023, 9:30am – 3:30pm.
The session consists of:
- Three weeks of seminar training to build leadership skills and frameworks, informational interviews with community and civic leaders, and site visits for place-based learning
- Two-week internship placement with a private, public, nonprofit or labor organization
- A one-week group project featuring site visits, interviews, and public speaking opportunities
PROGRAM DETAILS
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: Youth Fellows acquire tools, skills, and competencies rooted in Coro’s proprietary curriculum.
STRATEGY DAYS: Youth Fellows explore some of the most pressing topics affecting public life, and discover strategies for leveraging resources, collaborative networks, and decision-making power to effectuate positive change.
ISSUE EXPLORATION: Participants are encouraged to examine multiple perspectives around an issue, while being aware of their own biases and prejudices.
PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING: Through intensive cohort-based training and peer consulting, Youth Fellows form close bonds with their cohort members, who hail from all over LA County.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES Youth Fellows will meet mentors and Coro alumni through internships, interviews, site visits, and Coro events.
INDIVIDUAL AND SMALL GROUP APPLICATION PROJECTS: Immersion projects give Youth Fellows a real-world opportunity to apply the tools they’ve learned, practice individual and group reflection, and analyze systems.
WHY THE YOUTH FELLOWS
THE KNOWLEDGE Youth Fellows gain deep understandings of different sectors and how they work together to make the city function.
THE NETWORK Participants join a network of over 10,000 Coro alumni across the country, who can help with future academic and career development.
THE SKILLS Coro training gives Youth Fellows the tools and mindsets to effectively problem-solve.
Coro Youth Fellows Graduate With The Ability To:
- Listen to multiple perspectives around an issue
- Ask great questions to identify a problem
- Be aware of their own biases
- Give and take constructive feedback
- Create a career pathway
- Confidently lead in their schools, personal life, and communities
WHO SHOULD APPLY
Any current Los Angeles-area high school sophomore or junior who isn’t afraid to get out of their comfort zone. Coro looks for participants who want to make a difference in their schools and communities, and are eager to learn, grow, and challenge themselves.
ELIGIBILITY:
- Current High School sophomores and juniors
- Available to attend the entirety of the 6-week program from mid June to late July, 9:30am-3:30pm Monday through Friday
APPLICATION INFORMATION AND FAQs
The Youth Fellow Program application is due April 3, 2023 and must be completed in one sitting. Prior to working on the application, please review Application Guide.
Applicants will be asked to provide demographic information as well as short answer responses and three essay questions. To give applicants time to prepare their answers before submitting the final application, essay questions are listed below.
Essay Questions:
- Tell us who you are. You can describe your background, values, significant experiences from your past, and/or special hobbies/interests that have helped to shape your identity, values, and/or aspirations.
- What is the most challenging obstacle that you have had to overcome? Discuss the impact it has had on you and what you have learned from the experience.
- Video testimonial: Upload a 60-second video testimonial answering the following question: What are your reasons for applying to the Coro Youth Fellows Program? How will you apply your leadership training in your school or neighborhood community?
Applicants are also responsible for securing a recommendation from a teacher, coach, supervisor, or mentor (no family or friends). Recommendation forms can be accessed online here and should be submitted by the application deadline.
Tuition for the full 6-week summer session is $5,000 per participant. To request financial aid, please complete section 8 of the online application. For more information about scholarships, email Callie Spaide at callie@corola.org.
Youth Fellows Have Received Acceptances from:
Amherst College
Boston University
Brown
CSU Fullerton
CSU Long Beach
CSU Los Angeles
CSU Pomona
Dartmouth
Dickinson College
Harvard
Hobart William Smith
Loyola Marymount
New York University
Northeastern
Pepperdine
Stanford
Tulane University
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Riverside
UC Santa Barbara
UC San Diego
UCLA
University of Pennsylvania
Thank you to our Supporters
Application
The application period for the 2023 Youth Fellows cohort has ended. Fill out an interest form below to receive updates about the 2024 Youth Fellows Program.
Interest Form
Click here to complete an Interest Form and learn more about the Program.
Virtual Information Session
There are currently no virtual info sessions scheduled.
Nominate
Do you know a student who would make a great Youth Fellow? Nominate them here!
Meet the 2023 Class
Learn more about the 2023 Youth Fellows cohort.
Brochure
View the brochure or download to pass on to a friend.
Questions? Contact:
Callie Spaide
Senior Manager, Recruitment and Alumni Relations
callie@corola.org
(213) 267-6497
"Coro is a life changing opportunity that has created a foundation for me to grow as a leader. Apart from the leadership skills and amazing relationships, Coro has given me many valuable lessons. This program has allowed me to see the world with a different perspective and has taught me the art of effective inquiry. Coro truly fosters a lasting impact with unforgettable experiences."
Arianah RizzoYouth Fellow, 2019 
“The Coro Youth Fellows Program continually pushed me out of my comfort zone. It taught me how to talk and communicate more effectively with others and to be more comfortable with myself and my leadership style. Coro has helped me on my professional path, exposed me to leaders in Los Angeles and showed me ways that I can impact my community.”
Melissa RomeroYouth Fellow, 2018 
“During our five weeks, we did so many different things and had so many different experiences, but throughout the program, we had to learn to work cohesively as a team. I learned that communication and working together is so important to get things done and to be successful. I’m going to take that into everything I do at school and in my community. I’m going to help people that I interact with in that same way - to work as a group and learn from each other. That’s what I took from this program, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Imani AllenYouth Fellow, 2017 
“One of my takeaways from the program was the value of being thrown into uncomfortable situations. While that sounds unpleasant, it was one of the ways I learned the most here. You learn so much from being forced to learn things on your own, and that’s something you don’t see in regular school life. We get very clear-cut instructions - we’re told what we need to do and what our expectations are - instead of being able to shape those things for ourselves, and that's something that I learned through this program that was really valuable.”
Sydney ShintaniYouth Fellow, 2017 
"The Coro Youth Fellows program has given me a better sense of self. It taught me what it means to be a good leader and active member of the community, by analyzing both effective and ineffective qualities in other successful leaders. By being thrown into situations that feel very “sink or swim”, I was shown the true essence of myself as a leader. I am more confident now that I have the tools to prepare myself best to be the change I want to see in the world."
Audrey BluestoneYouth Fellow, 2020 
"The Coro Youth Fellows Program is foreign territory. It’s a space of safety, discomfort, and unpredictability. It’s a place where we never know what is going to happen next, but that constantly keeps us on our toes. Everyday, we are confronted with new challenges. And everyday, with every challenge we defeat and every problem we solve, we grow not just as an efficient leader but as a better person. This program was an amazing experience that will impact me forever."
Isabelle GonzalezYouth Fellow, 2020 
"The Coro Youth Fellows Program has been the single most influential experience for me in terms of leadership development. In this six-week course, I was faced with a myriad of obstacles and challenges that, when overcome, facilitated my growth as an individual. I was encouraged to take risks and leave my comfort zone, but even through new experiences, I was never allowed to fail, for such a concept did not exist, merely it was an opportunity to grow."
John SzijjartoYouth Fellow, 2020 
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