Poder Latinx Launches 2nd Poderosas Fellowship Cohort, Training the Next Generation of Latina Leaders for Civic Engagement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2022
CONTACT:
Jackie Smith | 989-576-1996 jsmith@poderlatinx.org
Poder Latinx Launches 2nd Poderosas Fellowship Cohort, Training the Next Generation of Latina Leaders for Civic Engagement
NATIONWIDE - Poder Latinx is proud to announce the commencement of the 2022 Poderosas Fellowship cohort. The Poderosas fellowship program is a paid opportunity in which Latinas aged 18-35 can learn the skills to promote community organizing and leadership development, and civic engagement tools to increase voter participation for the 2022 midterm elections and beyond. The Poderosas are based in key electoral states including Arizona, California, Virginia/DC, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Poder Latinx has released the following statement on the 2022 Poderosas Fellowship:
“The Poderosas Fellowship began as a visionary project designed to fill a gap in Latina leadership development, especially in political spaces. We wanted to be intentional in building a pipeline of Latina leaders and this idea became a reality in 2020. There was a huge need that was not being met, so we set out to present fellows with a culturally-competent curriculum tailored to their own lived experiences and tying that back to the Latinx community. Our inaugural cohort was crucial in amplifying our civic engagement efforts to get out the vote in the 2020 presidential election, as Poderosas took on text-banking, phone-banking, canvassing, and more. With the midterm elections coming up, the Poderosas will be trained to reach out to their local communities and mobilize and energize individuals on issues that matter to them most. We are eager to get to know more about our new cohort and excited to see the work that will be completed by Poderosas this year,” said Yadira Sanchez, Executive Director of Poder Latinx.
“We are so proud to announce the newest cohort of Poderosas. Going through the application process, we were so excited to see how many Latinas are looking to enter this space and do the work. Poder Latinx’s vision is for every Poderosa fellow to have the necessary tools to educate and engage their local communities. Our vision is to help close the gap in civic participation and increase the political representation of Latinxs in the U.S. The fellowship will prepare and cultivate the Latina electorate as long term agents of change. Through a continuum of civic and voter engagement opportunities – starting with online, grassroots organizing, and leadership development – we are building a culture of civic participation among Latinas to shape a national narrative on Latinx lives and elevate issues important to our constituency. By grounding the work in the development of Latina leaders and tying their involvement to matters of local, statewide, and national concern, we ensure a lasting voice for the nation’s fastest-growing demographic,” said Nancy Batista, National Fellowship Director of Poder Latinx.