HOPE Regional Institute and Leadership Hubs

Building on the success of HOPE’s statewide and national leadership development programs, our Regional Leadership Institute and Hubs will create multi-generational leadership pipelines and ongoing local centers for advocacy, while strengthening the local HOPE network to increase the number of Latinas represented in government, nonprofit leadership, and business. Focused on Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, the Bay Area, Central Valley, San Diego, and Imperial Counties, regional leaders will work to improve education, healthcare, and economic development, enhancing the status of Latinas and dismantling the barriers to our communities’ success.

The Regional Institutes will train over 300 Latinas in three years (2024-2027) to fill key local leadership roles and lead initiatives that will create positive community impact in the focus regions: Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, the Bay Area, the Central Valley, San Diego and Imperial County. WE are now accepting applications for the San Diego and Los Angeles Cohorts. Applications for the Central Valley and Imperial County Regional Institutes will open in Summer 2025. Future Regional Institute locations will include the Inland Empire and Bay Area.

Applications for the 2024-2025 Cohorts are Now Open!

San Diego Application Los Angeles Application

Who Should Apply to the Regional Institute?

The Regional Institute is designed for local Latina leaders who want to build their skills and network to influence public policy. The ideal applicant will be a civically engaged resident of one of the target regions and demonstrate a record of readiness for an increasing leadership role in their respective community. As part of the Regional Institute, participants will learn how to identify structural causes of inequity in public institutions and acquire the knowledge and skills to remedy inequities to improve the status of Latinas, women and all communities. Each session will include the opportunity for community building and access to immediate opportunities for local advocacy.

Access the Regional Institute Fact Sheet Frequently Asked Questions

Ongoing Involvement through the Hubs

Upon graduation from the Regional Institutes, HOPE will facilitate Leadership Hubs in each of the regions that will serve as a convening space for the Regional Institute graduates and local HOPE Leadership Institute alumna to come together on a regular basis to coordinate advocacy efforts in education, healthcare, and economic development, while strengthening the local HOPE network to increase the number of Latinas represented in government, nonprofit leadership, and business.

Application

San Diego and Los Angeles Regional Institute

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
A headshot (preferably high resolution .png or.jpeg). No selfies, please.
A $25 nonrefundable Application Fee
One letter of recommendation. Referrals from HLI alumnae are encouraged but not required.

You may only apply to one Regional Insitute and it must be within your area of residence.

Required Qualifications

HOPE Regional Institute Participants must:

Reside in the HOPE Regional Institute target area.
- Resident of San Diego County (within the county’s 18 cities and/or unincorporated areas within SD County)
- Resident of Los Angeles County (within the county’s 88 cities and/or unincorporated areas within LA County)

Be a civically engaged resident with at least 3 years of local activism — for example, community education, public speaking at government meetings/townhalls, voter engagement.
Have a demonstrated record of readiness for an increasing leadership role in your community.
Be over the age of 20.
Identify as Latina.

The HOPE Regional Institute does not require a college degree or previous engagement with HOPE to participate.

HOPE considers all applicants without regard to gender identity or expression. The program is designed to train female-identifying Latinas with leadership and advocacy skills, and a key part of the program involves policy analysis through the lens of gender and identity.

List of Unincorporated Areas in SD List of Cities within SD County List of Cities within LA County List of Unincorporated Areas in LA

Program Costs

The HOPE Regional Institute is a tuition-free program, however, participants are expected to incur certain expenses such as but not limited to:

Travel costs to and from sessions, including any parking fees
Personal Contribution to the Friends of HOPE Network ($100+)- payment plan available
$25 Application Fee

Calendar of In-person Sessions

All sessions will be held in person. The Regional Institute dates will vary by region.

Session 1: Education/K-12

Friday, October 25th- Saturday, October 26th, 2024

Session 2: City Governance

Friday January 17th- Saturday January 18th, 2025

Session 3: County Governance

Friday, February 21st- Saturday, February 22nd, 2025

Session 4: Special Districts

Friday, April 4th- Saturday April 5th, 2025

All sessions will be held in person. The Regional Institute dates will vary by region.

Session 1: Education/K-12

Friday, November 8th – Saturday, November 9th, 2024

Session 2: City Governance

Friday, January 31st – Saturday, February 1st, 2025

Session 3: County Governance

Friday, March 21st- Saturday March 22nd, 2025

Session 4: Special Districts

Friday, April 18th – Saturday, April 19th, 2025

Los Angeles

All sessions will be held in person. The Regional Institute dates will vary by region.

Session 1: Education/K-12

Friday, October 25th- Saturday, October 26th, 2024

Session 2: City Governance

Friday January 17th- Saturday January 18th, 2025

Session 3: County Governance

Friday, February 21st- Saturday, February 22nd, 2025

Session 4: Special Districts

Friday, April 4th- Saturday April 5th, 2025

San Diego

All sessions will be held in person. The Regional Institute dates will vary by region.

Session 1: Education/K-12

Friday, November 8th – Saturday, November 9th, 2024

Session 2: City Governance

Friday, January 31st – Saturday, February 1st, 2025

Session 3: County Governance

Friday, March 21st- Saturday March 22nd, 2025

Session 4: Special Districts

Friday, April 18th – Saturday, April 19th, 2025

Stay tuned for session dates for the Central Valley, Bay Area, Inland Empire, and Imperial Valley.

Frequently Asked Questions

Local Latina leaders who want to build their skills and network to influence public policy at the regional level. The ideal applicant will be a civically engaged resident of one of the target regions and demonstrate a record of readiness for an increasing leadership role in their respective community.

Participants will learn how to examine and use data to inform public policy, understand how public budgets get made, analyze the flow of power and influence, and explore immediate opportunities for local advocacy, appointments, and networking in the region. Each session will include the opportunity to practice these skills with experiential learning projects and case studies.

The program aims to equip participants with skills to create lasting change as leaders in education, healthcare, and economic development. This includes skills in inquiry, power mapping, data and policy analysis, budgeting, messaging and self-branding, organizing, getting appointed, unconscious bias training, and personal and team leadership development.

The cost to submit an application is $25. Upon acceptance to the program, participants are asked to make a $100 personal, one-time contribution to the Friends of HOPE Network. Participants are also responsible for travel costs to and from sessions, including any parking fees.

Yes, you can apply for a fee waiver in the application. The fee waiver will cover the mandatory $25 application cost and $100 personal contribution.

No, you must attend and participate in all four sessions.

No.

Yes, students 20 years of age or older are welcome to apply.

Program sessions will be conducted in English.

20-25 individuals.

Participants should expect approximately 60 hours of instruction time across the four training sessions and four hours in between sessions for completion of prep assignments and readings.

No. For the first cohort of our HOPE Regional Institute, applications are only open to candidates who have not completed the HOPE Leadership Institute (HLI).

No.

No, you must live and/or work in the region to which you are applying.

Yes. However, you can only be accepted to and participate in one program in the same cycle.

No, you may only apply to one and it must be where you are currently residing.

We hope to continue to grow our Regional Institute locations. Please fill out our interest form to stay connected!

Senior Program Manager, Lauren Salaiz, lsalaiz@latinas.org.

Contact

To learn more about the HOPE Regional Institute, please contact Lauren Salaiz, Senior Program Manager.