Colorado State University is hosting high school Latino students from Colorado, New York, Arizona, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas this week to participate in government-based activities and enhance leadership skills.

The 25th Colorado Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session is held from July 6 through 13. Students are given the opportunity to develop an understanding of interpersonal competence, public speaking, professional presentations and campaigning.

Dr. Ernesto Nieto, president of the National Hispanic Institute, founded the non-profit in order to inspire young Latinos to be leaders and act as a central part of the Latino communities existing in the United States. CSU has co-hosted the weeklong conference since 1990.

The conference gives qualified high school sophomores and juniors on track for college, who have a 3.2 GPA or higher, the chance to campaign with groups to create governmental proposals. The program hosts 150 highly-ranked Latinos approaching college age.

Students campaign for positions such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, Senator, Attorney or one of nine Supreme Court Justice positions. The proposals are presented in the hope that they will become law.

“I can personally attest to the difference it makes in the lives of young people, and how it propels them to not only be good citizens, but also to actively shape the society that we live in,” stated Jonathan Goode, program coordinator and alumnus of the program, in a press release.

Collegian Senior Reporter Josephine Bush can be reached at news@collegian.com.