Youth Empowerment

2025-26 Mentorship Enrollment Open! Recruiting High School mentees and college mentors. 12 spots available! Contact Monica at 509-986-5737.

Assistance with homework,
Build leadership skills,
Explore career interests,
Learn life skills,
Volunteer

Project IMPACTO – APOYO’s youth empowerment program is committed to engaging, educating, and empowering Latinx youth at a pivotal moment in their leadership development.

Established in 2024 with funding from the Inatai Foundation’s Emerging Opportunities fund, our program offers educational experiences, including internships, mentorships, job shadowing, and civic engagement focused on racial and social justice.

We host monthly youth socials, guest speaker events, workshops, volunteer opportunities, and community engagement. Learn more about our events.

Follow us on Instagram (@apoyoyouth) for the latest updates!

Table of Contents

Contact Info

Monica Castelan

IMPACTO Youth Empowerment Director

empower@apoyo-community.org

Upcoming Events

Our monthly events include youth socials, guest speaker presentations, workshops, volunteer opportunities, and community engagement.

Follow us on Instagram (@apoyoyouth) to stay updated.

Volunteer with us! Visit our Volunteer Page to register.

Apr. 3 – CWU Involvement Fair: Come say hi and get some swag!
Apr. 9 – Monthly Youth Social: April is National Volunteer Month! We will go volunteer at a local youth organization to give back to the community.
April 13 – Grad Student Guest Speaker: Learn more about a Master’s in Public Health student’s experience and process of being accepted into higher education.
Apr. 18 – Plant 100 Trees with APOYO! Interested? Contact Noel at 253-737-9248.
Apr. 29 – APOYO National Volunteer Day: Assist with organizing clothing to provide essential items for community members at our Community Closet.
May 7 – Litigation Attorney Guest Speaker: Learn about a first-generation non-traditional student’s experience in Political Science.
May 14 – Monthly Youth Social: May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Learn about health while playing games with peers.
May 20 – ASCWU Leadership Workshop for Running Start Students: Come learn how youth use their voice to advocate for you and your peers while in college!
May 27 – APOYO Community Closet Volunteer Day: Assist with organizing clothing to provide essential items for community members.
Week of June 1 – Event and activities to be decided.
June 6 – Monthly Youth Social: Celebrate the high school and college class of 2026!
Week of June 8 – Event and activities to be decided.
Week of June 15 – Multilingual Poetry Open-Mic Night: Share a meaningful poem in your native language.
June 24 – APOYO Community Closet Volunteer Day: Assist with organizing clothing to provide essential items for community members.
More to come!

Meet the Youth Empowerment Team

Organizing Committee

Who is the Organizing Committee? The committee consists of eight members who meet weekly and provide oversight and guidance for the youth empowerment curriculum.

Join Our Youth Advisory Crew

Are you a young person living in Kittitas County? We are looking for 5 youth members to join our Youth Advisory Crew!

Members will commit 2 hours per week to meet with the crew. During these meetings, members will vote, plan event and activity themes, assist with entertainment (music, games, etc.), and promote the events.

Youth Advisory Members receive a quarterly stipend in recognition of their time, leadership, and contributions to the program’s development. You must be between 15 and 30 years old to apply. Email Monica (empower@apoyo-community) for more information!