The University of New Mexico (UNM) is collaborating with the National Hispanic Institute to organize the Dionisio “Dennis” Chavez New Mexico Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session. This event is scheduled for June 2025 and will involve high school students from across the state.
Dionisio "Dennis" Chavez, a native of New Mexico, had a distinguished political career serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1931 to 1935 and in the U.S. Senate from 1935 to 1962. He was notable for being the first Hispanic elected official in the Senate and the first senator born in New Mexico.
The youth legislative session, presented by the National Hispanic Institute and hosted by UNM, is an eight-day program targeting students in grades ten and eleven. It will take place from June 8 to June 15, 2025, bringing together New Mexico's top 150 high school students to engage in leadership roles centered on civic engagement.
Participants will focus on developing professional, personal, and business skills through asset-based community equity building as they work towards envisioning New Mexico's future. Eligible applicants are sophomores and juniors from New Mexico high schools who maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.2 or higher and are enrolled in college-bound graduation plans.
There are no application or tuition fees for this program due to sponsorship by the N.M. Legislature and Senator Michael Padilla. Transportation assistance will be provided for students, with participants only needing to cover travel costs to and from UNM.
Applications are currently being accepted for interested students.
