NEC EPYC Leadership Institute

This year, for the National Empowerment Conference (NEC) in Las Vegas, we are fundraising for the ability to have more youth to participate in EPYC's Leadership Institute and NEC. We are fundraising so that more FilAm youth can have the opportunity to participate in the program with lower registration costs. Please consider donating to this cause.

Empowering Pilipino Youth through Collaboration (EPYC) was born out of the 2014 NaFFAA National Empowerment Conference Pre-Conference Leadership Institute in San Diego, California. Young Filipino American leaders formed a coalition of student leaders, youth development organizations, and individuals passionate about youth empowerment.

 

According to the U.S. Census, almost one million Filipinos between 18 to 34 live in the United States, making up one-fourth of the overall community. However, through direct experience and conducting focus groups, NaFFAA noticed that many students in college lack the resources and skills to lead their student organizations successfully. They also do not ask for help from community organizations outside of their campus “bubble” and face difficulty juggling their extracurricular and academic priorities. In addition, many young professionals who were previously involved in student organizations fail to continue remaining engaged after graduation due to burnout, lack of post-graduate mentors, place-based isolation away from Filipino American hubs, or professional and familial responsibilities.

 

As a federation of associations, NaFFAA aims to empower Filipino American leaders with tools, resources, and a shared network, while also helping build the capacity of Filipino American organizations to serve their communities better. NaFFAA’s EPYC Ambassadors Program aims to equip young leaders to refine their skills and learn new strategies to become more vigorous advocates to deliver more effective programs and services. Ambassadors will support NaFFAA's efforts around leadership development, civic engagement, and advocacy and help scale and build programs within their campuses and communities.