The Youth Leadership Institute (yli) has sparked the leadership of over 100,000 young people to solve pressing social issues and serve communities throughout California in the Eastern Coachella Valley, Long Beach, Fresno, Madera, Merced, San Mateo, San Francisco and Marin.
To date, yli young people have passed over 135 policy wins through holistic leadership development, youth-led action research, storytelling and campaigns in the areas of our Justice Platforms: Economic Justice, Education Justice, Environmental Justice, Gender Justice, Health Justice and Racial Justice.
The HOPE (Healthy Online Platforms for Everyone) Coalition, is one of yli’s first statewide programs and currently works with over 40 young people to make social media healthier for teens, and everyone, through narrative and policy change. Our work includes:
- Surveying youth on the impact of ad exposure on social media,
- Advocating for stronger healthy online policies,
- Creating a model policy that lays out safety recommendations for healthy online environment,
- Capacity-building on mental health, substance use, and more.
Oct 2024: The Youth Leadership Institute joined the Inspired Internet Pledge as an Advisor.
Q3 2025: Released the 2025 HOPE Annual Report: Building HOPE with Youth. Since 2020, HOPE Coalition has cultivated numerous research projects. In the annual report, dive deep into how HOPE utilizes youth-led research to shape policy and recommendations for youth, parents, policy makers, and industry leaders. Learn more
Q3 2025: Released Social Media Diaries: Social Media Comparisons, featuring insights collected by HOPE youth leaders about user behaviors, activity, and experiences across different social media platforms. Youth leaders reflected on their social media use frequency, mental health and wellness, social media comparison content, and community engagement. Read the insights (Also launching second video animation in September.)
Q3 2025: Hosted quarterly HOPE General Coalition meeting on September 16th, bringing together statewide prevention leaders, youth, and youth-serving organizations to strategize building safe online spaces for youth free of harmful social media exposures.
Q3 2025: YLI is looking for guest speakers for their General Meeting to present research, campaigns, or media projects, particularly focusing on AI, Media Literacy, Mental Health, and Wellbeing.