Cesar Chavez Youth Leadership Conference and Celebration

Roseville, CA - The Hispanic Empowerment Association of Roseville (HEAR), Latino Leadership Council and the Cooley Latino Club will sponsor the 10th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Youth Leadership Conference and Education Fair for any 6th to 12 graders and their parents. The educational fair will have college recruiters and information designed to empower families to become stronger advocates for their children's education.

The Conference will take place on Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM at Robert C. Cooley Middle School at 9300 Prarie Woods Way in Roseville, CA 95747 about 20 miles east of Sacramento – the State Capitol.

1,000 sixth to twelve graders attended last year and 500 parents. The event is free and pre-registration is not required but suggested. Pre-registration is available by downloading conference information at http://www.hear2000.org

The Conference began ten years ago in the Roseville City School District by Board Trustee, Rene Aguilera, and kicks off one of many upcoming Cesar Chavez State Holiday Events. Email Rene Aguilera at raguilera [at] surewest.net or reach him on his cell at 916-532-5998.

Cesar Chavez was co-founder and president of the United Farm Workers, leading the union from the 1960s to his death at age 66 in 1993 and organized farm workers in several states. In 2000, Governor Gray Davis signed SB 984, asking that school districts give an hour of instruction in all schools around Chavez's March 31 Birthday about the UFW founder's lessons on non-violence, self-sacrifice and social justice. Then, in the afternoon, students are to engage in some form of public service appropriate for their age and grade called the Cesar Chavez Day of Service of Learning.

“The Cesar E. Chavez Youth Leadership Conference supplements what most school districts do on or around March 31 – his birthday and acts as a primer for learning”, said, Aguilera, also the conference coordinator, “We ask parents, students, educators and business and community leaders to come out and volunteer their time to teach and learn from each other on both days.”

Workshops for parents, students, educators and business and community leaders will include a seminar on student financial aid and scholarships and career information workshops including law, journalism, military, teaching, social welfare, art, music and dance, medicine, law enforcement and pro athletes.

The Conference will feature several notable speakers and presenters from the Sacramento area education community and national organizations such as the Sacramento Central Labor Council, California Teacher's Association, Classified School Employees Association, The College Board, Community Colleges, State Universities and University of California Schools, Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Mexican American Legal Defense Education Fund, American G.I. Forum, La Raza Lawyers Association, League of United Latin American Citizens, Latino Issues Forum, California Latino School Board Members Association, United Farm Workers of America, Latina Leadership Network, Labor Council of Latin American Advancement, Society of Hispanic Engineer Professionals, SEIU Local 1000, California Teachers Association, Golden 1 Credit Union and the National Council of La Raza.