Make your mark, create the time of your life
Inspire others to follow…What matters most to you in life? Do you want to have a real impact on the world in which you live? During this powerful six-day program, you will explore your strengths and talents as you develop leadership skills that will allow you to pursue your passions. By the end of your six-day experience at our national youth leadership program, you will have the ability to effectively and confidently engage others in what matters most to you and them!
Explore this program:
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Interactive Community Development
At the NSLC youth leadership program Mastering Leadership, every moment is hands-on. Together you and your team will play off each other’s strengths and weaknesses as you develop strategies for implementing what matters most to you and your community. On the next to last day of the program, you will be an active participant as you contribute during a day of service…and…for your participation in our national youth conference on leadership, you will earn 15 community service hours.
Pillars of Effective Leadership
During the course of the program, students will participate in a variety of interactive workshops, led by nationally-renowned facilitators. These workshops will help students master the Pillars of Effective Leadership as they prepare to serve their communities and the world.
Vision and Goal Setting:
Learn to effectively envision and declare what matters most to you in life – whether it be a passion for something within your school, your extracurricular activities, your community or your world. Create your personal strategic plan for living leadership every day as you build strategies that will engage those around you.
Group Dynamics
Explore and understand your ability to contribute in a meaningful way to the team you serve. Discover how and why we act the way we do in different situations and develop powerful strategies for motivating others for the task at hand.
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Explore the dynamics and learn the strategies of win-win negotiation and conflict resolution. Enhance your ability to handle high-stakes situations with greater ease.
Team Building
Witness the power of teamwork and see how you can accomplish extraordinary results by empowering others to work together. Our Ropes Challenge Course challenges you to go beyond your perceived boundaries, requires you to solve problems, and teaches you to trust yourself and others around you – ultimately making you a more powerful and effective leader.
The Distinctions of Leadership:
This is perhaps the single most profound component of the national youth conference on leadership. Through our experiential workshops you will examine and practice the fine line between “inclusive” and “exclusive” leadership. You will discover what enables the most significant members of our society to be the exceptional people they are and explore the intricacies of Vision, Integrity, Responsibility, Character, Commitment, and Empowerment. You will discover what makes you distinct as a leader and harness your natural ability to lead and to make a difference for others!
Persuasive Communication
Learn to communicate in a powerful way, stirring the emotions of your listeners while encouraging them to take action on their vision.
Community Service
One of the key components of the youth leadership program is our Community Service Project. Make a real difference as you plan and participate in this unique experience. You will earn 15 community service hours as part of this project.
Leadership Challenge Course
Meet Leadership Professionals
While at the NSLC’s youth leadership program, you will be challenged to move beyond your comfort zone and develop your leadership potential. You will be guided by a group of nationally-renowned facilitators with decades of experience working with high school students. The NSLC leadership team will be there every step of the way as you master the Pillars of Effective Leadership.
During your NSLC program, you will also meet with and learn from leaders in the fields of public service, government and community development. These speakers will share their insights on the power of leadership and serving others.
In past years, NSLC students have met with:
- Justice David Souter, U.S. Supreme Court
- Adotei Akwei, Advocacy Director, Amnesty International
- Robert Tschetter, Director, PeaceCorps
- Secretary Edward Schager, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Mark Sullivan, Director, U.S. Secret Service
- Mary Erbach, Director of Education, Art Institute of Chicago
- Marsh Johnson Evans, President and CEO, American Red Cross
- Alison Laing, NGO Outreach Associate, GivingGlobal
- Scott Harding, Founder and CEO, National Relief Network
Trips & Tours
An important part of the NSLC youth leadership program is seeing the sites around some of our nation’s greatest cities. These trips are designed as both sightseeing tours and exclusive educational trips specifically tailored to the area of Leadership:
Chicago, IL
- Navy Pier
- Magnificent Mile
- Grant Park
- Sears Tower
San Francisco, CA
- Pier 39
- Exploratorium & Palace of Fine Arts
- Golden Gate National Park
- Ghirardelli Square
Washington, D.C.
- Capitol Hill
- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Historic Union Station
- The Smithsonian Institution
- Baltimore Harbor
- Historic D.C. Monuments at Night
New Orleans, LA
- National World War II Museum
- Audubon Zoo
- French Quarter
Sample Schedules
Chicago, IL Sessions
San Francisco, CA Sessions
Washington, D.C. Sessions
Chicago, IL Sessions
Day 1
- Registration
- Welcome Barbecue
- Opening Ceremony
- TA Group Orientation
- Leadership Session: Vision
Day 2
- Leadership Session: To Risk or Not To Risk
- AU Credit Option
- Student Committee Meetings
- TA Group Activity: F.E.A.R.
- Ropes Challenge Course
- Leadership Session: Commitment in Action
- Social
Day 3
- Leadership Session: Personality Matrix
- TA Group Activity: My Uniqueness
- Student Committee Meetings
- Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Leadership Session: The Art of Negotiation
- Leadership Session: The World is Your Stage
Day 4
- The Psychology of Group Dynamics
- Leadership Session: The Distinctions of Leadership
- Lunch in Grant Park
- Magnificent Mile
- Dinner at Navy Pier
- Sears Tower at Night
Day 5
- Leadership Session: Who Am I?
- Community Service Project
- Leadership Session: My Community
- Dance
Day 6
- Final TA Group Meetings
- Closing Ceremonies
- Final Farewell and Departure
San Francisco, CA Sessions
Day 1
- Registration
- Welcome Barbecue
- Opening Ceremony
- TA Group Orientation
- Leadership Session: Vision
Day 2
- Leadership Session: To Risk or Not To Risk
- AU Credit Option
- Student Committee Meetings
- TA Group Activity: F.E.A.R.
- Ropes Challenge Course
- Leadership Session: Commitment in Action
- Social
Day 3
- Leadership Session: Personality Matrix
- TA Group Activity: My Uniqueness
- Student Committee Meetings
- Museum of Modern Art
- Leadership Session: The Art of Negotiation
- Leadership Session: The World is Your Stage
- Pier 39
Day 4
- The Psychology of Group Dynamics
- Leadership Session: The Distinctions of Leadership
- Golden Gate Park
- Northern California Holocaust Museum
Day 5
- Leadership Session: Who Am I?
- Community Service Project
- Leadership Session: My Community
- Dance
Day 6
- Final TA Group Meetings
- Closing Ceremonies
- Final Farewell and Departure
Washington, D.C. Sessions
Day 1
- Registration
- Welcome Barbecue
- Opening Ceremony
- TA Group Orientation
- Leadership Session: Vision
Day 2
- Leadership Session: To Risk or Not To Risk
- AU Credit Option
- Student Committee Meetings
- TA Group Activity: F.E.A.R.
- Ropes Challenge Course
- Leadership Session: Commitment in Action
- Social
Day 3
- Leadership Session: Personality Matrix
- TA Group Activity: My Uniqueness
- Student Committee Meetings
- Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Leadership Session: The Art of Negotiation
- Leadership Session: The World is Your Stage
Day 4
- The Psychology of Group Dynamics
- Leadership Session: The Distinctions of Leadership
- Capitol Hill and The Smithsonian Institutes
- Congressional Visits
- Library of Congress
- Air and Space Museum
- National Gallery of Art
- American History Museum
- And Many More
- Dinner at Union Station
- Washington Monuments at Night Tour
- Jefferson Memorial
- FDR Memorial
- World War II Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial
- Vietnam War and Korean War Memorials
- Iwo Jima Memorial
Day 5
- Leadership Session: Who Am I?
- Community Service Project
- Leadership Session: My Community
- Dance
Day 6
- Final TA Group Meetings
- Closing Ceremonies
- Final Farewell and Departure
