A delegation of more than 200 Hispanic and Latino high school sophomores and juniors from across the country will convene on DePaul University’s Lincoln Park and Loop campuses for the 2002 Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session July 7-14.

During the eight-day Chicago event, co-sponsored by DePaul and the National Hispanic Institute (NHI), students will discuss and debate topics of interest to the Hispanic community in the United States. They will be challenged to build upon the values and ethics that will guide their leadership of the Latino community in the future.

The American political system, public policy implementation and community organizing will serve as the experiential learning modules that form the students’ mock legislative experience. For several days of the event, students will create and run their own government. The event will culminate on June 13 with a private college fair for attendees, featuring more than 50 colleges and universities, from 1-3 p.m. at Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N. Fremont St., as well as an awards ceremony, to be held at 7:30 p.m. at the DePaul Concert Hall, 800 W. Belden Ave.

To participate in NHI programs, students must have at least a 3.2 grade point average, currently be enrolled in college preparatory high school classes and have a firm intention to continue their studies at the collegiate level.

“Young people of today need to educate themselves beyond what public schools and institutions of higher learning teach in the classroom,” said the Rev. John P. Minogue, C.M., DePaul University president.

“Students need inventive educational experiences like this program that teach them to work in teams, test out their abilities to compete against equally competent peers and create personal visions that compel them to dedicate themselves to personal excellence,” said Minogue, a member of NHI’s board of trustees.

“The National Hispanic Institute provides a wonderful opportunity for Hispanic/Latino high school students to gain practical knowledge to prepare them for future leadership positions, and we are proud to be hosting them again,” added Michael Gibbs, assistant vice president for DePaul’s Office of University Initiatives.

“In doing this work, we help strengthen and expand the base of future leaders not only for the Latino community, but society in general,” said Ernesto Nieto, NHI president and founder. “The first step, however, is for the students to attend colleges and universities that inspire them, provide them with a global view of the world and encourage them to go back to their communities as leaders. The Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session is the first step in learning to make a difference in the lives of others through community service.”

DePaul and NHI have been partners in providing educational experiences for Hispanic/Latino youth together for more than 10 years. NHI has worked with talented and highly motivated high school students since 1981. To date, NHI programs have served more than 40,000 youths nationwide.

DePaul is the largest private educational institution in Chicago and the largest Catholic university in the nation. A richly diverse population of 21,363 students attends classes on two city and six suburban campuses.

DePaul was founded in 1898 by the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers (the Congregation of the Mission), a Roman Catholic religious community which continues the mission and values of Vincent de Paul, the 17th century French saint known as the “Apostle of Charity.”