About the Youth Awards:
The Youth Awards was founded in 1998 by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Now entering its 26th year, the Youth Awards honors Latino high school seniors who excel in the classroom and community and for their excellence in various categories including: Community Service, Education, Engineering, Entrepreneurship & Business, Green Sustainability, Healthcare & Science, Media & Entertainment, Public Service & Social Justice, and Technology.
Gold, Silver, and Bronze recipients are selected in each category and receive a one-time grant to fund their college education or to fund a community service effort that tackles a social issue, and then one national Awardee is selected in each of the categories.
Once selected, recipients will be celebrated in 10 virtual ceremonies and will become part of our broader HHF network. The Youth Awards program is the main feeder to LOFT (Latinos On Fast Track) and LOFT Leadership Institute (LLI), an active institution focused on leadership, workforce, community, culture, and social justice led by HHF in partnership with Trinity University. The Youth Awardees are also funneled into the LOFT Network, which is a collective of 300,000 students and young professionals with access to mentors, resources, networking, workshops, symposia, summits, internships, and full-time positions with Fortune 500 Companies.
HHF’s mission focuses on education, workforce, social impact, and identity and culture through the lens of leadership. Through HHF’s 26-year-old Youth Awards program, tens of thousands of high-achieving Latinx high school students have been recognized and received more than five million dollars to support their education, ideas, or projects.
Deadline:
- November 3rd, 2024
Eligibility:
- Be currently enrolled in high school and graduating in the spring of 2025
- Must have a minimum unweighted 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale or 7.5 on a 10.0 scale
- Must enroll at an accredited higher education institution in 2025-2026
- Be of Hispanic heritage (includes Spain, Brazil, Philippines)
- If selected, attendance to virtual regional awards ceremony is mandatory
26th Annual Youth Awards Ceremonies:
- 2024 Season dates coming soon.
Need Help?:
- Watch our video tutorial of the Youth Awards application process here
Colgate-Palmolive is proud to sponsor the Youth Awards through the “Haz La U” (Make the U) college grant program for high school seniors. Colgate-Palmolive believes that a higher education is a path to a brighter future and is dedicated to helping students get there.
Have you focused on academic excellence, dedicated service to your community, and demonstrated leadership? Your effort could be rewarded by receiving one of 31 educational grants with Colgate providing $100,000 in total support.
