Rise Up: Youth Leadership Development Program

Rise Up offers teens ages 15-19 opportunities to be themselves, make friends from different neighborhoods, and develop leadership skills.

2022 Registration Now Open!

REGISTRATION

Apply Here

Be part of something meaningful!

It’s not always cool (or safe) to be yourself at school or with friends and family. Would you like a space where you can be real about what’s going on in your life, how you feel, what struggles you face, and to share your hopes and dreams? Would you like to meet youth from different neighborhoods and backgrounds, learn what their lives are like, have discussions about things that matter (race and gender issues, healthy relationships, etc.), and explore ways to make your community better? If so, Rise Up is for you!

Rise Up gives emerging teen leaders ages 15-19 a space to express themselves, connect with other inspired youth, gain leadership skills, and serve their community. Sessions take place every other Thursday 6-8:30 pm throughout the school year, and include interactive activities, mindfulness experiences, and sharing circles

The total cost for the program is $300. We offer numerous payment plans, as well as full and partial scholarships.

Have questions?
Email programs@amalafoundation.org or call us at (512) 476-8884.

Reach In, Rise Up, Reach Out!

Rise Up is:

A safe, nonjudgmental space for youth to share their true selves
An opportunity to connect with youth from different schools and neighborhoods
A place where youth can discuss the difficulties of being a teenager and learn tools to deal with the ups and downs of life
An invitation to develop leadership skills and explore ways to engage in their community
A place where adults listen more than they talk!

Meets Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

FIRE Cycle (Older Youth): Begins January 2022

WIND Cycle (Younger Youth): Begins January 2022

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“I love the Rise Up program because its inspired me to acknowledge what I feel and how to come about it. It has totally transformed my way of thinking and the way I hold myself. Rise up is such an inspiration to me!”

~Kayley Green-Tooney

“The Rise Up program has shown me that the future leaders of our community are strong. Rise-Up teachers youth that a big part of leadership is not just the act of leading a group of people but also listening to other people’s ideas.”

~Alex K.

“To me, Rise Up is not only an invitation to take on a larger role in the global community, but to “rise up” to all that I, as a human being, have the potential to be. The program is offering me tools to become more connected to my true self and to be present in every breath I take. It is helping me to become a good listener and to be passionate about what I love and believe. Most importantly though, it is teaching me how to find peace within. These are qualities I see in the leaders I most respect. I am excited to have the opportunity to learn how to become a leader like them, a leader for peace.”

~Kay McNally

“While timid to join Rise Up at first, the past few months have been ones of much growth for me. I never viewed myself as a leader, but through this program I have come to realize how much my own voice counts. I have also realized that a leader does not always have to be visible, and in fact, the best leaders are those who inspire and then walk away. Rise Up has given me a space to come to in authenticity. It is a place I can be real in, and a place that I trust gives me exactly what I need in the moment that I need it.“

~Alyza M.

“A loss of words protrude when I describe the true intention of my Rise Up experience. Through self-development, and the discovery of who I really am, many unspeakable opportunities have presented themselves in my path to self awareness and leadership. Through the finding and the blossoming of my true heart, I know that anything is possible for me in the future.”

~Pablo