Section 33425 Of Article 9.5. California Youth Leadership Project From California Education Code >> Division 2. >> Title 2. >> Part 20. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 9.5.
33425
. (a) The California Youth Leadership Project is hereby
established under the department for the purpose of promoting youth
civic engagement through meaningful opportunities to improve the
quality of life for California's disconnected and disadvantaged
youth.
(b) The California Youth Leadership Project shall support and
promote youth civic engagement by awarding scholarships to youth
between 14 and 18 years of age. Furthermore, youths awarded
scholarships by the California Youth Leadership Project shall be
given the opportunity to make meaningful recommendations regarding
legislation and policies that impact their own lives and the lives of
the thousands of other youth in California whose voices often go
unheard. An organization that operates civic engagement programs may
submit applications for participation in the project on behalf of
interested youth.
(c) The California Youth Leadership Project shall allocate
scholarship award funds to organizations that submit applications on
behalf of youth who are selected to receive scholarship awards under
this article. These organizations shall do, without limitation, all
of the following for the youth who receive scholarship awards under
this article:
(1) Provide youth participants tools to examine and discuss policy
and fiscal issues affecting the interests, needs, and conditions of
the youth of California.
(2) Provide youth participants the opportunity to formally advise
and make recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor on
specific issues affecting youth. These issues may include, but need
not be limited to, all of the following:
(A) Education.
(B) Employment.
(C) Access to state and local governmental services.
(D) The environment.
(E) Behavioral and physical health.
(F) Safety.
(G) Technology.
(H) Criminal justice.
(I) Homelessness.
(J) Foster care.
(K) Child welfare.
(L) Emancipation.
(M) Financial literacy.
(N) Substance abuse.
(O) Driver's license requirements.
(P) Poverty.
(Q) Increased youth participation in state and local government.
(R) Issues affecting youth with disabilities.
(S) Any other policy or fiscal issues deemed appropriate by the
department.
(3) Provide youth participants the opportunity to consult with any
existing local level youth advisory commissions and community-based,
grassroots youth-led organizations for input and potential solutions
on issues related to youth.
(4) Provide youth participants the opportunity to convene and
conduct meetings to fulfill the purposes of this chapter.
(5) Provide youth participants the opportunity to act as an
information center on California youth policy and fiscal issues,
including, but not limited to, the issues listed in paragraph (2).
(6) When available, enable individual youth to travel to the State
Capitol to learn the legislative process and, on occasion, to
testify at legislative hearings.
(d) An organization that receives a scholarship award on behalf of
youth under this article shall use these funds only for
youth-related activities described in subdivision (c).
(e) For purposes of this article, disconnected and disadvantaged
youth described in subdivision (a) include, but are not limited to,
youth who are homeless between 18 and 24 years of age, youth with
disabilities, youth who are from minority racial or ethnic groups,
youth who are in or have been emancipated from foster care, youth who
have been in or are on parole from the juvenile justice system,
youth who are from low-income households, youth who are high school
dropouts or are at risk of dropping out of school, youth who are
pregnant or are young mothers, and other youth who could benefit from
participation in the California Youth Leadership Project.