NHI extends deadline for high-achieving high school students to join summer leadership program underwritten by Las Vegas Sands

The National Hispanic Institute, providing transformative leadership experiences for high-achieving students for over 46 years, invites Las Vegas 9th-, 10th-, and 11th-graders to its 2026 summer leadership programs, made possible through funding from Las Vegas Sands and its Sands Cares community engagement program. 

NHI seeks students who aim to expand their friendship networks, build communication and leadership skills, and pursue college. The final online application deadline is April 15 for students on the honor roll or with a 3.2/4.0 GPA.

Now in its fifth year of partnership, NHI and Sands previously supported nearly 85 Las Vegas students for participation in NHI’s 2025 summer leadership programs, including the California Sol Great Debate at the University of San Diego, the Colorado Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session at Colorado State University, and the Rocky Mountain Collegiate World Series at Regis University in Denver. Since helping NHI bring its program to Las Vegas in 2022, Sands Cares funding has enabled the organization to serve 229 high school students, including some returning participants. 

The programs last four to eight days, and each one brings together as many as 200 students from across the United States and throughout the Americas, converging on a host college campus. The transformative and immersive leadership experiences are open to all who meet the academic requirements, with a focus on creativity, public speaking, and community betterment. 

“NHI gathers students with the capacity for leadership, and year after year, develops them into more confident, cognizant, and community-minded young leaders,” said Nicole Nieto, NHI’s executive vice president. “In Las Vegas, our partnership with Sands has helped bring about the transformation that not only impacts students with leadership promise, but also heightens leadership in students’ high schools and in their communities. Many report running for school or club officer positions immediately after completing an NHI program.” 

Current 9th-graders may apply and will attend a residential experience called the Great Debate next summer, with free transportation provided for Las Vegas students going to the California Sol Great Debate in San Diego. 

Current 10th- and 11th-graders learn to manage themselves in organizations, increase awareness for public policy, and grow collaborative skills through the eight-day Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session – the largest and arguably most life-changing of all the NHI programs.

Finally, as the capstone experience for current 11th graders, the five-day Collegiate World Series, the summer before participants’ senior year, provides a twofold preparatory experience for college and beyond, focusing on college applications, networking, and inquiry-based learning.

NHI is also offering the Heroes, Heroines, and Legends program to current 8th graders, introducing students to NHI’s curriculum through Global Community High School.

In 2025, NHI welcomed students from Advanced Technologies Academy, Bishop Gorman High School, Canyon Springs High School, Centennial HS, Cimarron-Memorial HS, College of Southern Nevada HS, Cristo Rey St. Viator College Prep, Desert Pines HS, Doral Academy Red Rock Middle HS, East Career & Technical Academy, Equipo Academy, Faith Lutheran HS, Foothills HS, Global Community HS, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Palo Verde HS, Rancho HS, Southeast Career and Technical Academy, and West Career & Technical Academy to participate in programs. 

In 2026, Ed W. Clark High School, Democracy High School, Spring Valley High School, and Young Women’s Leadership Academy of Las Vegas will send students to NHI, joining a number of the schools represented in 2025 — including several students who are returning as volunteer staff.

NHI’s leadership education has immediate tangible outcomes for students, with 98 percent of participants going on to college, including Ivy League universities, notable public universities, and liberal arts colleges, and 90 percent of those students completing a degree program within five years.

Yet, NHI does more than prepare high-achieving students for college. Its emphasis on community equity building, starting with focus on the assets present in one’s community, has provided a foundation for more than 100,000 alumni to offer principled, growth-minded leadership in government, business, education, and the non-profit sector, including current and former members of Congress. 

Sands’ support of NHI through Sands Cares has included underwriting of stipends for student tuition, travel expenses to competitions, recognition ceremonies, student civic projects, and staff support to guide programs, the local volunteer alliance, and community outreach.

For information on NHI programs, visit www.nationalhispanicinstitute.org or call (512) 357-6137. Las Vegas students can also email Regina Legarreta, Associate Director of Programs for the Western U.S., at regina_legarreta@nhimail.com.