CDF YALT Program

The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is committed to developing the next generation of servant leaders to serve as a strong and effective voice for all children and to pay special attention to those children left behind without a healthy, fair, safe or moral start in life. The Young Advocate Leadership Training (YALT®) program is a core component of CDF’s youth leadership development work that connects young adult servant leaders with ongoing service and advocacy campaigns in communities across America. The YALT program is an action-oriented training series offered on beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels to equip servant leaders with the skills and supports needed to take national, state, and community action to dismantle the Cradle to Prison Pipeline®, a national crisis that leaves a Black boy born in 2001 with a one in three lifetime chance of going to prison and a Latino boy a one in six risk of the same fate. Through interactive workshops, powerful speakers, and thoughtful group discussion YALT servant leaders:

• Discuss and analyze key policies and best practices that impact children and youth.
• Build relationships with community partners to develop action plans that will dismantle the Cradle to Prison Pipeline.
• Learn and apply community organizing and social networking skills to address community concerns.
• Make connections between current actions against injustice and historical social justice movements.
• Connect with other servant leaders to build an intergenerational movement that will improve the lives of children and youth in America.
• Grow as servant leaders to further understand their capacity as change agents.

The YALT program has trained young adult servant leaders from 32 states and the District of Columbia. YALT alumni have taken actions such as launching child advocacy campaigns on college campuses; engaging local, state, and national legislatures on policies that positively impact children and families; building careers in child advocacy and social justice as policy makers, educators, service providers, and community organizers;  and serving as a consistent voice for children.

YALT trainings occur at regular intervals throughout the year. Servant leaders are selected through a rigorous application process and range from ages 18 to 30. The three-day intensive training takes place at CDF’s Haley Farm located in Clinton, Tenn.  The YALT program will train at least 2,500 Black males and a total of 5,000 new young leaders over the next five years.

Send questions to yalt@childrensdefense.org.