The Cultural Neuropsychology Council (CNC) is a 501c3 inter-organizational entity that was established in 2020 with delegates representing all 17 neuropsychology organizations in the U.S. and an international observer. The CNC is composed of Co-Facilitators, five internal committees, and six working groups (WG) who have developed a 2030 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Impact Plan. One of the ten sustainable goals for neuropsychology is to create an Inclusive & Diverse Workforce (Trainee Pipeline) in Neuropsychology. In service of this objective, the CNC Young Leaders Program was developed in 2022 to intentionally focus on underrepresented and minoritized (URM) high school students. In this presentation, we will describe the satisfaction and impact of the CNC Young Leaders Program and its efficacy at reaching and sparking interest about neuropsychology among URM high school students.

The CNC Young Leaders Program focuses on URM high school students by partnering with Title 1 high schools, nonprofits, and neuropsychology organizations. CNC hosts URM students and teachers at conferences to increase exposure to neuropsychology. They network and interact with professionals and trainees who host them and share insights about the field with them. Following each program, the CNC Inclusive and Diverse Workforce Workgroup collects and analyses survey data taken from teachers, students, and volunteers to gauge satisfaction impact. 

The Young Leaders program has reached over ninety URM students and established connections with four Title I schools for ongoing partnership. CNC has additionally developed a website and list of resources for continued engagement. CNC has awarded $36,000 in conference attendance, college scholarships, mentoring lunches, and CNC T-shirts for URM high school students through partnerships. Student, teacher, mentor, and organizational post- survey data reveal overall satisfaction with programming and reveal areas of strengths and areas for growth for the program.

CNC Young Leaders Program has demonstratedstrong satisfaction in increasing exposure to neuropsychology and connection with URM professionals as well as trainees. Future goals include refining recruitment methods of URM high school students, maintaining relationships with Title 1 schools post-conference, expanding outreach to URM youth in elementary and middle schools, broadening global outreach, as well as solidifying partnerships with N2N, AACN R2050 Student Pipeline, and NAN Be Cool series to maximize impact.