On the RISE
Youth Leadership Development
PROGRAM SUMMARY
On the RISE uses leadership development strategies to create meaningful experiences for high school students from underserved communities that empower and inspire them to participate in social change.
High school students in the San Diego area are selected to participate in On the RISE through which they grow as leaders through a series of workshops and discussions. The three main models used for this program are The Social Change Model of Leadership Development, The Servant Leadership Model, and Adaptive Leadership (Harvard University).
Through On the RISE, students acquire a higher level of self-awareness, understand the relationship between their past and their future, identify an issue that they are passionate about, connect the issue to a movement or cause and build a network of meaningful connections. These outcomes culminate in the development of a CAPstone (Community Action Project) plan along with a personal narrative that explores their personal story, leadership experience, community issues, and their action plan.
PROGRAM FOCUS
The primary focus of On the RISE is to expose 16-18 year old students with civic engagement training and leadership development through self-exploration, community analysis and career pathway assessment.
PROGRAM CURRICULUM
The program can be thought of as a three-part approach: relationship, resources, and resilience.
Relationship: The program will involve taking the time necessary to establish trusting relationships between educators and students to yield authentic healing and hope.
Resources: Every week, students will be provided with resources to increase their capacity to manage stress by integrating various activities (visual, auditory, and tactile) to support different learning styles. Activities will include reading silently and aloud, participating in group dialogue, drawing, making posters, listening to songs, doing hands-on activities like building, etc.
Resilience: Through culturally responsive and trauma-informed mindfulness approaches to healing, the program emphasizes building resilience. The training and development model would involve looking for patterns and trends that best inform personal, social, and community action. We would build a circle of resilience that can be brought to scale and sustained by the community-at-large.
As a result of these efforts, the student’s outcome would include two major assignments. The first being that students will be asked to write a personal narrative that explores their personal story, leadership experience, and community issues. The second being that students will be asked to design a project, movement, or experience related to their legacy.
ANTICIPATED PROGRAM OUTCOMES
Students who participate in On the RISE will…
Have a better understanding of who they are and how they show up in various contexts
Be able to articulate their purpose and vision for the future within 5 weeks
Commit to volunteering their time to a community-based organization or initiative within 3 months of joining OTR
Develop meaningful relationships with influential community leaders across San Diego
Students develop a sense of belonging and self-efficacy
Students become social change agents in their own lives and in their community
2025 Graduation Highlights
Our Cohort 10 Fellows and Youth On The RISE participants graduated together in a powerful joint celebration. View the full photo gallery from this special day.
On the RISE Facilitators
Ale Uzarraga is a transborder artist, educator, and leadership coach who works with individuals and communities to explore identity, emotional awareness, and their role within the systems they are part of. Through art and narrative therapy methodologies, along with mindfulness and ancestral practices, she creates spaces for reflection, self-awareness, and collective connection.
For over 10 years, her work has been grounded in the nonprofit sector, where she has designed and facilitated programs alongside underserved youth focused on leadership development, emotional well-being, and social justice. Working across generations, her approach supports young people and adults in building critical thinking, emotional tools, and a stronger sense of belonging, while fostering trust, compassion, and community.
Jonathan Villafuerte, MSC is a seasoned youth development leader, facilitator, and nonprofit executive with over 20 years of experience designing and leading programs that advance youth leadership, community impact, and equity. His work centers on creating sustained, high-quality learning experiences that build young people's leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills while elevating youth voice and agency.
Jonathan has developed and led numerous youth leadership initiatives that integrate mental wellness, culturally responsive practices, and community-based learning, supporting young people to strengthen their sense of belonging and take action on issues that matter to them. He is particularly committed to engaging youth as co-designers and decision-makers, ensuring programs reflect their lived experiences, identities, and priorities.
Through his work as a consultant, facilitator, and coach, Jonathan partners with organizations to design inclusive, community-informed leadership models that prioritize sustained engagement and measurable impact.
Our Partners
Special thanks to SDGE for their generous support of On the RISE and to our community partners at DETOUR and First Gen Scholars.
