Hispanic Heritage Foundation Youth Awards

The Youth Awards was founded in 1998 by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and is now entering its 27th year. The program honors high school seniors who excel in the classroom and community and for their excellence in various categories. Gold, Silver, and Bronze recipients are selected in each category and receive a one-time grant to fund their college education or to fund a community service effort that tackles a social issue. National Awardees are selected in each category. Once selected, recipients are celebrated in virtual ceremonies and become part of the broader HHF network. The Youth Awards program serves as the main feeder to LOFT (Leaders On Fast Track) and LOFT Leadership Institute (LLI), an institution focused on leadership, workforce, community, culture, and social justice led by HHF in partnership with Trinity University. Youth Awardees are also funneled into the LOFT Network, a collective of 300,000 students and young professionals with access to mentors, resources, networking, workshops, symposia, summits, internships, and full-time positions with Fortune 500 Companies. Through the 27-year-old Youth Awards program, tens of thousands of high-achieving high school students have been recognized and received more than five million dollars to support their education, ideas, or projects. Additional support is provided through the Colgate-Palmolive "Haz La U" college grant program, which offers 31 educational grants totaling $100,000 in support.