Who We Are

Our purpose is to help young people purposely fulfill theirs

A Vision for the Future

The vision of YLI Erie is to empower tomorrow’s leaders, while helping to alleviate generational poverty through a focus on academic soundness, civic engagement and service.

Our Mission to Serve

Our mission is to connect high school students with resources that enable them to become Servant Leaders who are educated, motivated, and committed to their communities.

Edison Nicholson

Founder

The Cornerstone

Program

Leadership & Training

Individual Service Plans

All YLI Erie students start with an Individual Service Plan, or ISP. Our ISPs help ensure that funding and resources are providing long-term support and a focused program for each student.

ISPs are highly personalized and comprehensive. They are a unique case-management tool that supports a culture of engagement, while building structured pathways for progressing through academic programs. The ISP supports and ensures holistic student support, in a way that is unparalleled by other student programs.

The fact is, there is no other program like Youth Leadership Institute in the Erie Region and the magic of our programs stem from our individualized approach! When you sponsor a student in the YLI Erie program, you are helping ensure that their individual education and growth needs will be met, all while they are working and serving with their peer cohort.

This is a program of group potential, which starts with each individual student. Please consider helping us by sponsoring YLI Erie. We can’t do this without your help! Even sponsoring one student can help change the course of many lives.

Leadership Opportunities

Our students have many chances to serve and step-up as leaders. YLI’s curriculum not only includes leadership training, but through our many community service engagements, there are a variety of opportunities for students to lead projects and their peers.

The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) consists of four youth leaders and 5 committee heads. These positions are elected by their peers and function as a part-time job for the students, with participants able to earn an hourly rate of pay for their service!

Leadership positions include:

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer

 

Committees include:

  • Research & Development
  • Marketing & Public Relations
  • Fundraising
  • Project Development
  • Volunteer Coordination
Note: Committees may also include student participants from all Classes of YLI participants.