National Young Leaders Conference - Page 3

hsmomstef · 11-06-2007, 12:47 PM

I think the wording of jleslie might be a bit too harsh -- would you expect to send you kid to Washington D.C, or whereever the program is, for nothing?

The costs might seems somewhat high -- but they are also in line with all the other "packaged" programs out there. My son's middle school is offering a five day trip to Washington D.C., with a whirlwind tour of all the main sites for $1200 (plus you pay for lunch each day and a tip for the tour director and bus driver -- so add in another couple of hundred, at least). Seems awfully high cost to me -- but these "packaged tours" or "conferences" include tour guides, scheduled events and, of course, some profit in there. For kids who don't have the opportunity to go with family or friends, it might well be worth the expense.

I think what bothers most people is the fancy invitations and the idea that the program is exclusive. In a way, most of these programs are exclusive -- neither NYLC or NYLF or Presidential Classroom (all three offer similiar programs) or my son's middle school tour want kids who are poor students, troublemakers, etc. So if you get decent grades, follow the rules and don't rock the boat -- you are a member of the exclusive club.

lspf72 · 11-06-2007, 12:54 PM

I think it's wrong to suggest that people who take part in these conferences are suckers who do it to (mistakenly) pad their resumes.

Our son attended the one in DC, and would NEVER have considered listing it anywhere on his college application or resume. On the other hand, coming from a family with four kids, and not having had the chance to travel much (and never alone), he def. found it a valuable experience. He wished they hadn't spent quite so much time on role-playing, but admitted he did learn a lot. He thoroughly enjoyed the excursions into DC and the behind-the-scenes visits to the different houses and the meetings with representatives, though I think the high point was breakfast at the National Press Club.

Basically, it was very different from any experience we could have given him on a family trip. The boy from our school who had attended a year or two before had said it was one of the most fun things he'd ever done, which was probably the main reason we decided to give it a second look. I DO agree that I'm not fond of their over-the-top packaging/marketing, but don't regret sending him. For a student interested in government and/or politics, I think it offers a good experience, and there didn't seem to be any misrepresentation in what they advertised vs. what they offered.

Just my two cents. To each his own.

HisGraceFillsMe · 11-06-2007, 05:46 PM

youarenumber6-what is your problem? Did you ever attend NYLC? Let me just tell you that you have the wrong view of this program. We met with a woman who worked in Homeland Security. We met with Senators and members of Congress. The people I met there are, without a doubt, future leaders of America. I don't know why you're being so elitist, and maybe if you had actually attended one of these programs you would know that.

By the way-NYLC also gives out scholarships to members who go home and start a Grassroots campaign. How is that not leadership?

Anyways. I put NYLC on my apps, but it definitely wasn't a selling point for me.

I had an amazing time...I still talk to a few of the people 2 years later. It was definitely well worth the trip and gave me some great connections in that I got to meet my congresswoman and actually sit and talk with her for a half an hour, which resulted in her offering me an internship if I was ever in need of one. I still have her business card somewhere. (I also got to ride in an elevator with Hilary Clinton, but I digress.)

Also, you might look at LeadAmerica. Again it's not very prestigious, but I enjoyed LeadAmerica even more than NYLC. It was AMAZING and I learned a ton..and with LeadAmerica you even get 1 or 2 (but you have to pay for the 2nd and it's pricey) college credits!! And they have different conferences themed around different themes (I went to the Crime Scene Investigation one). If you have any other questions, feel free to IM or PM me...these were both amazing experiences and I would definitely consider doing NYLC. It was awesome.

Oh. Also. NYLC was great because it was the first time I really traveled by myself...really gives you a sense of independence. Just a little sidenote. ^_^

ehoffens · 05-23-2009, 02:44 PM

This is the BEST advice I have seen about this matter. I got the invitation today for my son and decided to do some research before making a decision. Thanks for the insight and the eye-opener!

MLM529 · 11-15-2009, 10:53 AM

My son just finished this program. In fact, he is just heading back home from there. The breakdown was that they didn't verify his travel information and he didn't have a shuttle scheduled so he had to take a taxi ($74) which ended up taking him to the wrong airport! Naturally, he missed his flight and I had to pay another $70 to get him to another airport. When I called on Tuesday to speak to one of their representatives, I was assured that their representatives would take care of participants. I know my son is not a child but this doesn't not occur as someone making sure that he was getting home safely.