At the NSLC on Mastering Leadership, you’ll gain a better understanding of who you are and what you have to offer, no matter what career path you choose. You and your team of peers will explore your strengths and talents as you unleash your natural leadership abilities.
College Credit is Available for This Program
The National Student Leadership Conference has a unique partnership with American University to offer college credit for our high school summer programs across all campuses. The American University is distinguished as a premier global university and known for turning “ideas into action and action into service.” As a result of this NSLC/AU alliance, students attending the NSLC’s summer programs for high school students have the opportunity to take an online college credit course taught by American University faculty. The course is completed after returning home at hours that suit your schedule, enabling you to enhance your education without interrupting NSLC activities.
Read more about earning college credit through your NSLC program.
Program Highlights
Community service project
Earn up to 6 service hours and up to 4 service-learning hours.
Interactive leadership workshops
Learn to harness your leadership strengths to effectively motivate and communicate with others.
Guest Speakers
Meet with community leaders, government officials and heads of nonprofit organizations.
Dates & Locations
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
- July 21 – July 26
- July 28 – August 2
- August 4 – August 9
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
- June 20 – June 25
- June 28 – July 3
- July 8 – July 13
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 up to 6 service hours and up to 4 service-learning 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.
Persuasive Communication Learn to communicate in a powerful way, stirring the emotions of your listeners while encouraging them to take action on their vision.
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!
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 up to 6 service hours and up to 4 service-learning hours as part of this project.
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.
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, guest speakers have included:
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
Behind-the-Scenes 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:
- Capitol Hill
- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Historic Union Station
- The Smithsonian Institution
- Georgetown
- Historic D.C. Monuments at Night
- Bicentennial Capitol Mall
- Grand Ole Opry
- Frist Art Museum
Your NSLC tuition is all-inclusive. Your tuition covers course materials, housing, on-campus meals, social events and transportation throughout your program.
We offer a comprehensive scholarship program to assist qualified students with the cost of NSLC tuition, based on financial need, academic merit and extracurriculars.
Fundraising is a great way to raise funds to contribute toward your NSLC program tuition while also forging relationships with leaders in your community.