Youth Led Leadership Alliance

The Youth Led Leadership Alliance is a network of 7 different leadership groups sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education working together to develop leadership skills and make an impact across their community. All groups meet once a week on Tuesdays in a hybrid format, and once a month on Saturdays in person at either the County Office of Education in Santa Cruz, or the Sequoia High Schools campus in Watsonville. 

YLLA Groups

These groups include: 

Youth for Environmental Action - Students passionate about environmental justice and interested in taking action to address our changing climate.  

Youth Artists Taking Action - Youth artists of all disciplines interested in using their art to address social and environmental justice and create societal change.

Youth Empowerment through Technology & Innovation - Youth examining the role of technology in education, promoting ethical and responsible use, and working together to explore innovative solutions to real-world challenges.  

Youth Mental Health Leadership Council - Youth driven to break stigmas, promote wellness and increase mental health resources on their campuses. 

Multilingual Youth Taking Action - Multilingual students inspired to be future leaders and create a welcoming and supportive environment for peers of all backgrounds. 

Queer Student Union - QSU provides Santa Cruz county high school students with the opportunity to explore LGBTQ+ issues, and build their leadership skills through advocacy and service to their local community.

Countywide Black Student Union - Black students interested in building a network of support and solidarity that fights for equity and promotes cultural pride and awareness.


Interested in joining the Alliance? Just fill out a short interest form by clicking on the button below. The only eligibility requirement is to be a student enrolled at any high school within Santa Cruz county—public, private or charter! 

For more information, please contact Student Leadership and Engagement Coordinator, Andres Ortiz at anortiz@santacruzcoe.org or 831-466-5713.

To stay up to date please follow us on Instagram at @sccsstudentleadership

We are pleased to announce that the Santa Cruz County Office of Education Student Leadership and Engagement Programs will be starting up again in September for the 2024-25 school year! 

Highlights from the 23-24 School Year!

Introducing a New Tech Group - YETI!

YETI (Youth Empowerment through Technology & Innovation) is a dynamic student group dedicated to equipping young minds with cutting-edge digital skills and fostering responsible tech usage. Our members collaborate on exciting tech projects, explore innovative solutions, and develop leadership abilities in a fun and supportive environment. 

New Meeting Structure - YLLA at Your Campus!

Starting in the fall of the 2024/25 school year, YLLA will be implementing a new weekly meeting structure. All groups will now meet weekly from 4:00-5:15pm at all 8 comprehensive high school campuses throughout the county. Each YLLA group will host their meetings in person at a designated campus in Santa Cruz county. Hybrid options will be available for each group. Students will have to bring their school issued Chromebooks to participate. If you do not have a Chromebook, please contact Andres Ortiz to set up an alternate arrangement. 


YLLA Meeting Locations Coming Soon!

Monthly Meeting Times

* Our orientation and first meeting of the 2024-25 school year will be on Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 11am-2pm at Seabright State Beach/Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History (1305 E Cliff Dr. Santa Cruz, CA 95062). At this meeting we will confirm the weekly meeting times and locations for all groups. We will also take part in a beach cleanup facilitated by Save Our Shores!


Weekly Meetings - Tuesdays from 4:00-5:15pm, at all comprehensive high school campuses in Santa Cruz county (hybrid model)

YLLA Monthly Meetings - Generally the third Saturday of the month 11am-2pm with the other YLLA groups (In person only):


24-25 YLLA Calendar

YLLA Beach Day!

To celebrate all of the amazing work the students did throughout the year, YLLA held our last monthly gathering of the 2023-24 school year at Capitola Beach.  

YLLA Presenting to SC County Board of Education

On May 16, 2024, the students of the various YLLA groups gave a presentation to the board in which they reported all of the amazing work they had done throughout the 2023/24 school year, and shared their plans for the futre.

Self & Community Tile Project

High school students from across Santa Cruz County schools have been working together since Fall 2021 exploring what Self and Community means to them using art.