LDZ Las Americas returns: NHI announces July dates for leadership experience in Cancun

One of the National Hispanic Institute’s most storied summer programs is returning in 2027 after a seven-year hiatus. 

NHI launched its first LDZ program internationally at the University of Puerto Rico in 2005, and moved it to el Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in 2026 as LDZ Las Americas, which opened NHI’s first opportunity for students in Mexico to participate.  That year, NHI received a surge of students from the Monterrey region of México, planting the LDZ footprint from that day forward.

Hosted by universities in Puerto Rico, México, and the City of Knowledge in Panamá during its history, the 2027 version is coming to Universidad Anáhuac Cancún — the first time an NHI program will be held in the Yucatán Peninsula. 

The July 4-11, 2027 program is already open for registration; NHI expects contingents of students from the United States, México, and Guatemala, with additional students from Panamá and the Dominican Republic, to participate in its transformational eight-day immersive learning experience. 

At the LDZ, students are challenged to form their own governance system based upon their values and vision for the future. These become the basis by which they form political parties, run for office, submit and consider resolutions, all the while building organizational management, constituency development, and policy-making skill sets. The LDZ program, first piloted in 1982 as a one-day leadership experience, was expanded to an eight-day session by NHI’s founder, Ernesto Nieto, and co-founder, Gloria de Leon, and has been pivotal in NHI’s approach to leadership development. Through the years, NHI has developed community-equity-building concepts into its curriculum, encouraging future leaders to define and leverage community assets to advance.

“At the LDZ Las Americas program, 125 of the western hemisphere’s young leaders will come together to dream big about the future,” said Nicole Nieto, NHI’s executive vice president. “By working together on policies, they agree on the terms and conditions they can rely on to carry forward projects that benefit the community. We believe this sparks new ideas and connections that will play themselves out in the next 10 to 15 years…maybe even for a lifetime.” 

The LDZ Las Americas program will feature a grand opening and social, the LDZ general assembly, elections, a governance session, two excursions, an awards ceremony, a college fair, and a despedida (farewell).  Excursions include a trip to the Grand Outlet Riviera Maya, the largest mall in Latin America, and a visit to a cultural/archaeological site. The program will be directed by experienced NHI education directors, plus a full team of volunteers and security.  Students will be housed in a local hotel and conduct the legislative session at the Universidad Anahuac Cancun, only 10 minutes away. The university is only 10 minutes from the Cancun International Airport too, making transportation easy and convenient.  Parents are invited to the final Saturday of the program to experience the college fair and awards ceremony! 

The revival of LDZ Las Americas was spearheaded by both the Anahuac Cancun leadership team, including Alejandro Perozo Padilla, the university’s international director, Andrew Stevens, its international short courses coordinator, and NHI’s Mexico leadership team, including Rodrigo Rosales, Director of Latin America Development, Gabriela Morales (advisor to NHI’s Monterrey group), and Choche Cruz, a member of NHI’s Board of Directors, as well as Nieto.

The project has been in the making for over three years, and shows NHI’s resiliency and dedication to serving students in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.  Of course, the program will also push the engagement of U.S. students who want to experience governance at a hemispheric level. 

“We’re proud to be partnering with Universidad Anáhuac Cancún,” Nieto said. “They’re providing an incredible setting for the transformational learning that students experience at the LDZ, in a region of México with incredible history and vibrancy. In working with us, they’re allowing us to bring back the LDZ Las Americas, which increases access for Latin American students and deepens the perspectives and voices within our community.” 

“NHI has been doing incredible work developing leaders for nearly half a century, and we’re proud to be the host of a program geared toward young leaders in México and beyond,” said Perozo Padilla. “We look forward to hosting this group of international students, and we’re proud to have a role in their growth and progression as leaders.” 

NHI recommends students who meet the program requirements apply by the Regular Admission deadline of Tuesday, Nov. 17, though it’s possible that spots will remain open beyond that date.