Two longtime advocates whose work has strengthened families, expanded educational access and empowered communities will receive special recognition when Cal State San Bernardino hosts the 15th annual Latino Education and Advocacy Days Summit in October.

Jerry Tello is the 2026 Padrino de Honor, and Josefina E. Canchola is the 2026 Madrina de Honor for LEAD Summit XV. The free conference will bring educators, students, researchers, community leaders and advocates together to discuss Latino education, educational leadership and social justice.

Themed “15ñera for Justice: Divina Juventud: From Innocence to Resistance,” LEAD Summit XV will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at the Santos Manuel Student Union South Events Center. Registration and parking are complimentary; registration can be done online at the LEAD Summit XV registration webpage.

“Jerry Tello and Josefina Canchola embody the spirit of Divina Juventud: the understanding that our young people’s journey from innocence to resistance must be rooted in culture, healing, education and collective responsibility,” said Enrique Murillo Jr., executive director of LEAD and professor of education at CSUSB. “Jerry’s life’s work reminds us that La Cultura Cura – that reclaiming identity and ancestral wisdom can heal families and strengthen communities. 

“Josefina’s extraordinary commitment to educational access demonstrates what becomes possible when we transform Sí Se Puede from an expression of hope into sustained action,” Murillo said. “Together, their legacies show our youth that resistance is not simply opposition; it is the courageous work of healing, learning, leading and creating a more just future.”

Tello is an internationally recognized authority on culturally based health and healing, trauma-informed practices and Indigenous-centered pedagogy. A father, grandfather, therapist, author and community justice advocate, he has spent more than five decades strengthening individuals, families and communities through his philosophy, La Cultura Cura, or Culture Heals.

Through that philosophy and its practices, Tello has reached more than half a million people and trained thousands of facilitators nationwide. He is co-founder and elder emeritus of the National Compadres Network, established in 1988, and has developed nationally recognized curricula focused on healing, fatherhood, youth development and community wellness.

His honors include the 2024 National Latino Behavioral Health Lifetime Legacy Award, the White House Champions of Change Award and the Presidential Crime Victims Service Award. He also co-guides the Sacred Circles Center in Whittier with Susanna Armijo.

Canchola has dedicated 38 years to the University of California system and to creating educational opportunities for first-generation and underserved students. She is director of Secondary Programs and Partnerships for the University of California’s Puente Project and vice president of the Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees.

Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Canchola attended schools in Los Angeles before graduating from Pioneer High School in Whittier. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UC Riverside, becoming the first person in her family to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees. She later received a master’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix while working full time, serving her community and raising her daughter Julia as a single mother.

Her community involvement includes 33 years as a volunteer and past president of the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project. Guided by the motto “Sí Se Puede,” or “Yes, it can be done,” she has focused her career on helping students overcome educational, economic and social barriers.

The program will include panel discussions, featured presentations, cultural performances, remembrance altars and community-centered activities. Registration is available through the LEAD Summit XV registration webpage.

The 2026 summit will explore the role of young people in advancing education, democracy and social justice through the theme, "Divina Juventud: From Innocence to Resistance." Organizers describe the gathering as an opportunity to examine how education can serve as a catalyst for civic engagement, leadership and positive community change.

Throughout the day, attendees will participate in panel discussions, featured presentations, cultural performances, remembrance altars and community-centered activities designed to encourage collaboration across education, research, the arts and advocacy.

The summit invites participants to consider questions about democracy, educational responsibility and the future of justice while highlighting the creativity, leadership and resilience of emerging generations.

LEAD organizers encourage participation from teaching professionals, researchers, academics, scholars, administrators, students, parents, families, civic leaders, policy specialists, artists and advocates who share a commitment to improving educational outcomes and expanding opportunities for Latino students.