How We Empower Future Leaders:

Youth Service Program

The Youth Volunteer Program at Los Niños Primero offers middle school, high school, and college students in the Atlanta area the chance to engage in meaningful service work. Youth Volunteers support our programs by assisting our educators in the classroom through Play and Project Based Learning. Youth Volunteers receive training in safety and organizational policies to prepare them for these roles.

Youth Volunteer opportunities include our Summer Educational Program and Saturday School, as well as participation in year-round events like Bingo and Día del Niño. Their commitment and efforts make a lasting impact on our students and the broader community

Creciendo Juntas

Our Creciendo Juntas program is a unique Big and Little Sister Mentorship initiative offered at three locations: Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, and Forest Park. This multigenerational program connects girl youth volunteers (“Bigs”) with younger students (“Littles”) through a project-based approach that fosters mutual growth and mentorship. While the Bigs mentor the Littles, they also participate in their own workshops led by Mentor Coordinators, where they receive guidance and training. Through bi-monthly workshops, this program gives access to education, the arts, and mental wellness, allowing participants to grow together.

Workshop activities focus on themes like Gratitude, Eating to Make Me Feel Good, and How to Be Mindful Mentors, with each session incorporating an art activity. As part of their training, Bigs work on creating a lesson plan, which they’ll later teach to the Littles, encouraging leadership and creativity. 

Creciendo Juntas is funded by the Atlanta Women’s Foundation All Girls Forward: Girls Empowerment Program Grant, providing free access to education, the arts, and mental wellness resources.

Youth Ambassador Program

The Youth Ambassador Program is an invitation-only opportunity, recognizing high school juniors and seniors who have demonstrated outstanding dedication and leadership as Youth Volunteers in the Summer Educational Program. This selective program is designed to inspire, empower, and support youth in reaching their full leadership potential.

Through this year-round program, ambassadors develop essential leadership skills, boost their self-confidence, and grow as community-minded individuals. The ambassadors take on meaningful roles within the organization, such as program leaders, outreach coordinators, and fundraising coordinators, gaining hands-on experience in areas that prepare them for future careers. 

Ambassadors engage in monthly workshops, team-building activities, and a group service project. They build connections with community and industry leaders, strengthen relationships with like-minded peers, and deepen their civic engagement. 

Guided by the J.W. Fanning Institute’s Youth Leadership in Action curriculum, each workshop reflects Los Niños Primero’s core values, equipping youth to make a positive impact in their community.

Investing in Latino Futures

Investing in Latino Futures is a new internship program at Los Niños Primero designed to provide high school seniors and college students with real-world work experience. Through partnerships with companies across various industries, we aim to match interns with companies offering 6 to 8-week paid internships. By surveying and registering students, we gain insight into their career interests and align them with potential internship opportunities.

Currently, we’re partnering with organizations like Image Works and Los Niños Primero’s Summer Educational Program and Creciendo Juntas to offer these internships. This initiative allows interns to develop professionalism, leadership skills, and hands-on experience while supporting faculty and staff in a nonprofit environment, making a meaningful impact on their community.