On May 27, 2013, SALDEF successfully concluded its second Leadership Development Program (LDP) cohort, under its ground-breaking SikhLEAD youth development initiative. The program selected 17 talented and accomplished young Sikh Americans from around the country for 6 days of intensive leadership training, professional development and advocacy training. The program spanned two weekends, the first in Washington, DC in October and the second in Los Angeles, CA in May. The latter of these weekends focused on providing the participants with “tools for change” including an understanding of how to influence policy makers, organize communities, and leverage media to positively impact the Sikh community. See Slideshow of Pictures “We are proud of our graduates and excited to have them move our community forward,” said Jasjit Singh, Executive Director. “They will play a great role in strengthening SikhLEAD and building our network of emerging Sikh American leaders.” LDP is designed to inspire, train, and support a diverse, motivated, and entrepreneurial group of young Sikh American leaders as they prepare for a lifetime of community engagement and leadership. The purpose of this program is to empower Sikh American youth in becoming effective leaders committed to exploring and realizing both their personal potential and that of the Sikh American community. Read about the first SikhLEAD LDP class SALDEF is indebted to many who provided their valuable time to serve as panelists and guest speakers during the program: • Honorable Judy Chu; US House of Representatives (CA-27) • Dr. Varun Soni; Dean of Religious Life, University of Southern California • Sujata Tejwani; Director of Political Leadership Project, Wellstone Action • Dr. Jaideep Singh; Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies, CSU East Bay/ SALDEF Co-Founder LDP was funded through generous support of community members across the country and the sponsors below. We would also like to thank the University of Southern California Office of Religious Life for hosting the event and to the district office of Congresswoman Chu for their assistance. If you would like to support SikhLEAD, click here. Applications for the next class will be available at SikhLEAD.org soon!
