In January 2004, officers of the Rice University Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) in Houston, Texas, founded the Youth Leadership Workshop to introduce Vietnamese high school students to opportunities at a top university and the importance of service and leadership in the Vietnamese American community.

Although the initial turnout of 12 students in the spring of 2004 was very modest, Rice VSA partnered with other Houston VSAs and community organizations – Hope Initiative, Inc., the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association (VCSA), and Boat People SOS-Houston – and media outlets, such as Radio Saigon Houston 900 AM, to develop the program and find effective ways to market the workshop series. In the fall of 2004, the Youth Leadership Workshop was renamed the College Leadership Workshop.

Since 2005, CLW has consistently drawn approximately 80 high school students each year, and the number of applicants is expected to increase substantially this year due to improved outreach strategies. Surveys and continued correspondence with past participants have suggested that CLW has made an impact on the lives of many students. In 2005, Texas State Representative Hubert Vo believed in the program enough to volunteer as the CLW keynote speaker. Several Rice VSA officers are also alumni of CLW – a testament to the effectiveness of this program.