PALCUS Celebrates the Official Launch of Its NextGen Leadership Academy

MANASSAS, Va., February 16, 2021 (Newswire.com) - PALCUS is proud to officially launch its NextGen Leadership Academy fellowship following a kick-off event last month that welcomed and celebrated the inaugural cohort of fellows, referred to as NextGen Co-founding Ambassadors. All Co-founding Ambassadors - 28 in total - were recruited by invitation only, and they represent an extraordinary group of young Portuguese-Americans (18-35 years of age) who have demonstrated promise, a desire to become leaders in their fields, and who are passionate about the celebration and preservation of Portuguese language and culture in the United States. PALCUS first announced the NextGen Leadership Academy in October 2020 through a series of information-sharing and recruitment efforts, including a webinar with David Simas (CEO of the Obama Foundation) during the PALCUS Bi-Annual National Conference and an interview with Rosário Lira on RTP Internacional's program "Decisão Nacional."

Over the course of this year, NextGen Co-founding Ambassadors will receive access to such benefits as workshops, invited speaker sessions, small-group discussions, and a variety of tailored professional and social resources. In addition, the Co-founding Ambassadors will work alongside three PALCUS directors - Jordan Thomas, Jack DeOliveira, and Manny Antunes - in helping to build the foundation for future iterations of the Leadership Academy.

Reflecting on this launch and the wide array of NextGen activities planned for the months ahead, PALCUS Director Dan Da Ponte - who initially conceived of the Leadership Academy - said the following: "The youth in our Portuguese-American community possess incredible talent. This next generation of leaders has been provided amazing opportunities resulting from the sacrifices of their parents and grandparents. NextGen is a way of bringing these future leaders together and honoring our ancestors by preserving many aspects of our culture."

PALCUS Young Portuguese-American Director and NextGen Leadership Academy Coordinator Jordan Thomas shared the following reflections: "This past month's official launch is the result of many hours of time and effort invested by so many people - much of which precedes my time on the Board. The remarkable momentum and enthusiasm surrounding this NextGen fellowship are a testament to that hard work. I am proud to be a part of this journey, I am thankful for everyone who helped bring about what we have accomplished thus far, and I am thrilled to continue this great work together in the months ahead."

The PALCUS NextGen Leadership Academy Co-founding Ambassadors can be found listed here: https://www.palcus.org/nextgen.

About PALCUS: PALCUS, the national organization advocating for Portuguese-Americans in the United States for over 29 years, believes strongly that our youth are the future of our community, and we strive through a variety of educational, cultural, and professional initiatives to do everything possible to ensure their success. We view this NextGen Leadership Academy as the next key pillar in that long-standing commitment. For more information about us and our programs, please visit us at www.palcus.org.

Source: PALCUS