Youth Leadership Programs

Group of young people wearing matching red t-shirts with a yellow sun logo, standing outdoors in front of an ornate archway with greenery in the background.
Group of children celebrating birthday with a decorated cake, some making gestures, and others engaged in activities at a table in a brightly lit room with orange walls.
A group of young people gathered around a decorated table for a holiday celebration, smiling at the camera.
A diverse group of young students and adults posing for a photo in front of a university sign on a grassy, tree-lined campus.
Group of young people holding a banner with flags of various countries, wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas during a rainy outdoor event.
A large group of children and teenagers posing on the steps of a building, some making peace signs, smiling and waving at the camera.
Group of young girls sitting around a table making arts and crafts with beads, with an instructor showing their work.
A group of three people making Christmas ornaments with snowflake cutouts at a table covered with craft supplies.
A group of diverse young people standing outside in front of a circular monument that says 'George Washington University', with buildings and trees in the background.
Close-up of a person's hands placing a collage of cut-out photos and drawings on a piece of paper or poster board. The collage includes images of people, text, and illustrations of objects like a lime, lemon, and a spray bottle. Handwriting in green
Group of young people and adults posing for a photo on the steps of a building, wearing matching red T-shirts with a yellow sun logo.
A group of young people gathered around a decorated table at a holiday party, celebrating Christmas with festive decorations and smiling for the camera.
A large group of children and teenagers posing for a photo in front of the National Museum of American History at the Kennedy E. Behring Center. The building's facade displays the museum's name and banners.
A group of people standing in a circle outdoors in a courtyard, engaging in conversation or activities, with an apartment building in the background.
A group of diverse young students standing outdoors, listening to a man in a blue shirt who appears to be giving directions or instructions, outside a building with signs for a student center and parking.
Display of children's artwork, including paintings and drawings of landscapes, animals, and abstract scenes, arranged on a wall and on a table, with handwritten notes or stories underneath.

MLOV runs the only youth program in DC that is led by and is for immigrant youth. We provide refugee and immigrant youth with pathways to academic success, civic/social engagement, and leadership/empowerment through engaging, culturally and linguistically responsive programming throughout the school year and summer.

Our programming addresses issues specific to the experiences of low-income immigrant and English Learner youth, i.e., multilingual instruction, cultural identity exploration, peer socialization, and culturally responsive policies, procedures, and practices.

Our programs provide a supportive space where youth can work towards both 1) individual goal setting and advancement and 2) collective action to create lasting change for youth and immigrants in DC.

  • We implement bilingual programs for middle school and high school students from across DC.

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  • We implement our post-secondary prep program, Escalera, during the school year for 11th and 12th grade high school students.

    We also implement a 2-week intensive college-prep program over the summer.

  • MLOV's immigrant youth mentorship program is a transformative initiative designed to empower and uplift young refugees and immigrants who have arrived in the United States, aged 15 to 24. Having served dozens of participants so far and with new cohorts starting soon in 2025, MLOV’s Immigrant Youth Mentorship Program has grown and strengthened over the last two years.

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  • Our Youth Advisory Council, is a youth-led body of leaders composed of youth elected by their peers who representing all grades from middle-school through postsecondary.

    The council represent the only immigrant student led body in the District organizing to address issues impacting our immigrant youth community.

  • Through our new Advancing Through College program, launched in 2025, we are providing cohort-based and individualized support to 15 first-generation college students, expanding MLOV’s youth pipeline from middle school through college. This program enabled MLOV to support our first large group of 12th graders from the past SY who were accepted to postsecondary programs.

  • We implement a 5-week summer program for middle school and high school students.

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