how it all started.
The Youth Leadership Forums are a collection of programs across the country centered around empowerment for youths with disabilities. Starting in California in the early 1990s, YLFs are now in over 30 states across the country!
what is ylf?
The original Louisiana Youth Leadership Forum was hosted every summer from 2000-2005 on Louisiana State University (LSU) campus. Every year, LYLF accepted around 30 delegates for 5 days. Multiple disability organizations were involved— the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council, Families Helping Families, and the list goes on! Despite its broad impact, LAYLF was only able to run for 5 years. It ended in 2005 due to funding issues after Hurricane Katrina.
The Original Lylf
Fast forward to 2018, a couple of advocates in the disability community noticed a lack of youth programs in the state. They brought this up at a Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council (LaDDC) meeting, and one member remembered an empowerment camp that had run back in 2005… LAYLF! This set the group on a journey to figure out what this camp was and how to recreate it — eventually resulting in a LaDDC ad-hoc committee, dedicated solely to bringing YLF back to Louisiana.
Bringing ylf Back to La
The LaDDC YLF Ad-Hoc Committee, dubbed the “Funnest Committee Ever”
In 2023, LAYLF officially was restarted in Louisiana, accepting 12 delegates for 3 days. Though camp looks a little different than before, its main goal is the same — giving youths with disabilities the tools they need to become empowered adults with disabilities. We are so excited to be back, and even more excited to see our next generation grow into leaders!
