Leadership is the key to success in every profession and the core of every youth leadership conference. Since 1989, the NSLC has taught the world’s future leaders the art of leadership. Tens of thousands of high school students have come to the NSLC to actively participate in leadership workshops as well as meet with and learn from decision-makers in the fields of law, medicine, government, diplomacy, engineering, business, journalism and the arts.
No matter which program you choose, you will participate in career-specific leadership workshops in an open and fun learning environment. Working with experienced leadership facilitators, you and your teammates will discover and develop the leadership skills needed to succeed in high school, college and your chosen profession.
Explore our Leadership Curriculum:
Leadership Workshops
Negotiation:
Each of us is required to enter into negotiations on almost a daily basis. You may need to negotiate with an employer for more money, with your parents for a later curfew or with a friend to buy an old bike. In your future career, you are sure to need strong negotiation skills, whether negotiating an international treaty or a contract for a music performance. During this interactive workshop, you will learn the time-tested techniques for successful negotiation and have a chance to try them yourself.
Intrapersonal Communication:
Learning why you communicate in a certain way is just as important as learning how you communicate. How do you define yourself? What do you take into consideration when you make a decision? During this introspective activity you will be asked to identify “why” you make certain decisions and form certain relationships.
Ethics and Effective Decision Making:
Have you ever been faced with a decision that forced you to choose between two options, both of which might have negative consequences? During this workshop, you will learn how leaders make tough decisions and you will consider ethical dilemmas that face people in your future profession each day.
Time & Stress Management:
Getting a project done well and on time is often a challenge. Even the most dedicated leaders can get burned out if they don’t take time to relax and reflect. During this innovative workshop you will learn how to evaluate and manage your stress levels and effectively use your most valuable resource – time.
Leadership Styles & Group Dynamics:
Have you ever noticed that when trying to lead a group, you connect well with some people and not at all with others? Each of us has different styles of leadership and communication. During this exciting workshop you will learn to recognize the major traits that influence how we communicate with others and discover how to harness this knowledge effectively.
Public Speaking:
You can’t escape it. No matter what profession you choose, at some time public speaking will be a necessity. Whether making a speech to 1,000 people or a presentation to a small group of co-workers, great leaders must be able to communicate effectively. During this interactive workshop, you will learn some time-tested techniques to improve your public speaking and have an opportunity to put them to use immediately.
Peer Mediation & Conflict Resolution:
Have you ever been part of a group that imploded because group members just couldn’t get along? A strong leader is never more important than when he/she is called upon to convince team members to put aside their differences and unite behind common goals. In this lively workshop involving common group conflicts, you and your team will approach and mediate tense situations. You will practice the arts of cooperation and compromise while fine-tuning your ability to persuade.
The NSLC Ropes Challenge Course
“I am deathly afraid of heights and had already decided I would not participate in the ropes course. However, our team bonded so well and I received so much support that I went on the ropes course and loved every second of it. (Even though my legs were shaking so badly it was difficult to stand up straight). That experience changed my life and I want to thank you for pushing me outside my comfort level!”
- Bethany W., NSLC Student
Overcoming differences and creating a team takes work and shared experiences. On one of the first days of your Conference, you and your team will participate in an exciting Ropes Challenge Course.
During this Team Challenge, you will face a number of mental and physical obstacles that will require teamwork to resolve. Whether moving your entire team across an imaginary river, over a 7ft wall, or across a ladder bridge 40 feet above the ground, you will work together, solve problems creatively and develop a bond that will last throughout your conference and beyond.
The NSLC believes in challenge by choice. While you will be encouraged to participate in all activities, only you can determine the level and type of challenge that is appropriate for you. Every activity will have ways in which all team members can play a vital role. You will find that while not every team member will elect to do every activity, they will still be a part of the team-building process as they offer encouragement and support to their teammates.
