Nearly 500 middle school and high school students will converge on the University of California, Davis, for the 13th annual César E. Chávez Youth Leadership Conference and Celebration on Saturday (April 13).

The conference, free and open to the public, specifically sixth-grade through 12th-grade students and their families, will feature college and career workshops; an art, education, health and job fair; and entertainment.

Students and their parents are invited to gather information on financial aid, including grants and scholarships, and have questions answered by college recruiters. The conference aims to empower families to become stronger advocates for their children’s education.

Activities will take place in Freeborn and Wellman Halls starting with registration and breakfast at 8, and continuing until 3 p.m. A welcome talk by Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi is scheduled for 9 a.m. followed by an Aztec Dance Cultural Blessing of the Four Directions and “Meet the Professionals.”

A presentation of  “Nightmare on Puberty Street,” provided by Kaiser Educational Theater Programs, is set for 9:30. Workshops begin at 11.

UC Davis alumnus Rene Aguilera, a longtime Roseville school board member, founded the conference 2001. In its first 12 years, the conference took place in Placer County — drawing about 700 students and 200 parents last year.

“In times of recession, education is the key to building a road to a career,” Aguilera said. “That is why we provide this conference so that students and their families can discover scholarship, college and other educational services that are available to them.”

The conference also honors Chávez, the founder and leader of the United Farm Workers Union until his death at age 66 in 1993. The conference comes around the time of his birthday, March 31, and recognizess his lessons on nonviolence, self-sacrifice and social justice.

“The overall goal of the conference is to help youths learn how to be community leaders, how to become involved, how to learn about social and political issues, and how to pursue educational opportunities beyond high school,” Aguilera said.

The conference workshops, 11 a.m. to 12:25 p.m., will address educational and career pathways, including engineering, law, journalism, environment, military, teaching, social welfare, art, music and dance, medicine, law enforcement and professional sports. PIQE, or Parent Involvement Quality Education, will present parent workshops.

A celebration titled “Embrace the Legacy of César Chávez” will run from 12:30 to 2:55 p.m., featuring a burrito lunch (with vegetarian as an option) and entertainment, including mariachi music, folkloric and Aztec dancers, break dancing, and trick roper and whip master James Barrera.

Conference sponsors and hosts include Campus Community Engagement, Office of Campus Community Relations, UC Davis; the Hispanic Empowerment Association of Roseville (HEAR); and the California Latino School Boards Association.

Although not required, preregistration is strongly recommended. The form is available for download on the conference website. Forms should be faxed to (916) 782-2040, or students can deliver their applications to school counselors and ask them to fax in the applications.

More information is available from Aguilera, (916) 532-5998.