Youth Leadership Institute (YLI)

"I appreciate how YLI has made me feel like my opinion matters… when they gave me the opportunity of public outreach, I felt like I was heard. Also YLI has made me feel like a real artist, which I really appreciate. " — Youth participant, YLI Eastern Coachella Valley

At Youth Leadership Institute, young people realize their power by learning to use their voices to create meaningful change. Our programs support young people to identify the root causes of systemic issues in their communities and to uplift their own stories to bring about positive change.

Coachella Unincorporated was the first youth media program based in the Eastern Coachella Valley (ECV), followed by ¡Que Madre! Media in 2018. More recently, we piloted our newest Youth Trusted Messenger program which trains and empowers young people to do outreach in the ECV communities surrounding various campaigns such as Extreme Heat, Mental Health Resources, and Air Quality Awareness. Our ECV office is also a member of the ECV Pride Planning Committee. 

In Fall 2025, our ECV office joined yli’s K–12 Behavioral Health Services Campaign, the organization’s largest statewide effort to advance equitable access to youth behavioral health care. Through this campaign, ECV youth leaders are trained to understand the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), conduct community-based research, and advocate for policy changes that strengthen mental health services for youth at the local and state levels.

In addition, we offer workforce development opportunities, including Program Assistant and Community Health Navigator roles. The ECV serves as a career pipeline for youth participants by providing paid internships that help lead and sustain our programming.

To learn more about Youth Leadership Institute:

-Visit our website, yli.org or email info@yli.org.