NHI Sets Nov. 17 Deadline for 2027 Programs

The National Hispanic Institute has set a Nov. 17 application deadline for high-achieving 9th-, 10th-, and 11th-grade students seeking places in its 2027 summer leadership programs. NHI will host 11 university-hosted experiences next June and July for students across the United States and throughout the Americas. The programs focus on communication, public speaking, and collaboration through three levels of immersive summer learning. More than 100,000 NHI alumni are leaders in government, business, education, health, and nonprofit sectors.

Three Summer Program Levels

Students who commit to the full three-year NHI sequence begin with the Great Debate, a public speaking-focused program for rising 10th graders. Participants build arguments, think on their feet, and speak with clarity and conviction about issues shaping their communities, while top performers earn trophies and accolades.

Rising 11th and 12th graders can attend the Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session, an eight-day program in which delegates create, elect, and run a government with legislative, executive, and judiciary branches. The program ends with an intensive three-day legislative session.

For rising 12th graders, the Collegiate World Series combines the college application process with inquiry-based learning as a tool for decision-making in college and beyond.

Leadership Skills And Networks

Students do not have to attend all three programs to benefit. The more they attend, the more their networks, experience, and opportunities expand.

“NHI programs started with the realization that growing Latino populations needed more leaders who could respond to their needs and advance their contributions to American society. We also believed we could identify students from these communities and develop their skills and readiness to lead,” said Nicole Nieto, NHI's executive vice president. “As the programs evolved, we found that participants immediately applied what they learned at NHI in their schools and communities.”

2027 Locations

Great Debate programs are scheduled for San Diego, the Quad Cities, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. LDZ programs will take place in Fort Collins, Colo.; San Antonio, the New York metro area, and Cancún. CWS programs are planned for Denver and Houston.