The Second Annual Tongan American Youth Foundation (TAYF) High School Conference will be held on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at CSU-Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA (1000 East Victoria Street). The Mission Statement of the TAYF is:

"To motivate, educate, and empower all Tongan Americans, especially the youth and less fortunate, to reach their full potential as positive, productive and successful members of society for the advancement of humanity."

Guest speakers include Chris Ma'umalanga (founder), formerly of the New York Giants, Captain Todd S. Rogers of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Carson Station and Mark Hanson, President of the Heartland Foundation and former candidate for California State Senate. Additional speakers to be

announced.

2006 was the first annual conference featuring such guest speakers as Chris Ma'umalanga (Founder and former New York Giants player), Paul Tuivai (Universal Records), Reno Mahe (Philadelphia Eagles), Haloti Ngata (Baltimore Ravens and #1 NFL 2006 draft pick from University of Oregon), George Palelei

(Commercial Film Director), and other prominent Tongan Americans who use their success and talents to help motivate young Pacific Islander students. The day long conference was very successful drawing in approximately 300 members of the community and was entertained a musical performances by Kontiki and Nonosina.

This year the theme of the conference is "Dream Big- Taking It To The Next Level" with workshop topics being as follows: College Preparation, Financial Management, Health and Fitness, and Personal Development all with the underlying message being tied into the Mission Statement of the TAYF as well as anti-gang promotion. The Los Angeles Unified School District will again provide the school buses to

transport the students to the conference for the day as a field trip for the opportunity to participate

in this conference.

Some of the Major Sponsors include Cal-State Dominguez Hills, The California Endowments/Pacific Islander Health Partnership (PIHP), Beacon Realty and Lending, Centinela Valley Union High School District and Mataele Investment Group.

Community Support Groups include Tongan Community Services Center, National Office of Samoan Affairs, NAPAFASA, Tongan Lennox United Methodist Church, L.A. County Sheriff's Department- Lennox Station, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints- Inglewood Stake, Tongan Lennox UMC Women's Group, UCLA Pacific Islanders Student Association.

Ma'umalanga, who recently formed the grassroots Tongan American Youth Foundation, hopes to continue the conference as an annual event to inspire and impact Tongan American youth in a positive way. He would like to see a generation of educated Tongan children who can handle the cultural pressure and the financial constraints that many of their parents still face. 'These struggles are found in every ethnic population,' he says. 'But because of our culture, there is an identity crisis in being Tongan and American at the same time.'" By Laurie Kawakami, Staff Writer USC APASS Reporter. Vyking Media & Entertainment, 19/3/07.