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Nominate for Jr. National Youth Leadership Conference (JrNYLC)
Where Next Generation Leaders Are Made

At the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC), your students will join fellow high-achieving peers from across the country to expand their leadership abilities by learning from history. Over the course of six amazing days in and around the nation's capital, they will be inspired by exemplary stories of courage and collaborate to discover solutions to some of the issues they face today.

JrNYLC Curriculum

Students attenting JrNYLC The curriculum offers a unique approach to leadership training that makes the program an unparalleled opportunity for students to learn and apply new concepts in an intellectually stimulating environment.

Becoming a Voice of Leadership

The theme of the conference is Voices of Leadership: Reflecting on the Past to Create the Future. Students will examine the concept of leadership in the context of American history.

To help them better understand the many factors that impact any historical era, students will be immersed in history through a series of hands-on experiences. They will lead and participate in activities designed to enhance critical thinking skills, promote problem solving, and expose them to different ways of thinking. In the past, students have also discovered historic locations and explored the memorials and museums of our nation’s capital.

Leadership Focus Groups

Each day, students and their Advisors meet in Leadership Focus Groups to discuss important Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills such as communication, collaboration, time-management, and self-management. The overall goal of JrNYLC is to enhance and develop these traits within each student. Within their Leadership Focus Groups and throughout the conference, students interact with peers from across the nation and develop long-lasting friendships.

Daily Skills Workshops

All students will attend a variety of workshops which will give them the opportunity to enhance their writing, public speaking, and discussion skills. They will work in groups to connect attributes of leaders of the past to leadership today. The conference culminates with a community engagement project in which students apply the skills they have acquired and share a week’s worth of findings and insights on a special topic with their peers.

JrNYLC Sample Schedule

 
Envision by WorldStrides’ Promise to You

Health & Safety: Our Top Priority


The health and safety of our students is, and always will be, our top priority. We are currently evaluating all aspects of our programs and incorporating the most up-to-date health and safety standards. We will continue to make changes as new learnings and guidance evolve from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our program partners. For the most up-to-date answers to FAQs and procedural details highlighting our COVID-19 protocols, visit our COVID Health & Safety page.
Keynote Speaker: Anthony Robles

When Anthony Robles was born without a right leg, doctors had no explanation for the birth defect and there was little hope he would lead a normal life. His mom, however, always told him that God made him that way for a reason and encouraged him to pursue his dream of wrestling.

At 14, Robles tried out for his school’s wrestling team and became the smallest kid on the lineup, finishing his first year in last place at the Mesa City wrestling tournament. But against all odds, Robles believed he could one day be a champion wrestler and proved to be an unstoppable force. With the support of his mother and coaches, he went from being last in the city to finishing his junior and senior years at Mesa High School as a two-time Arizona State Champion and a high school National Champion with a 96-0 record.

Despite finishing high school on top, Robles once again faced prejudice in the sport of wrestling, as no college wrestling programs believed he could excel at the next level. Through bold determination, he "walked on" at Arizona State University and made it his mission to prove to them, and the world, that anything was possible. Robles graduated from Arizona State with a degree in Business Communication and finished his college wrestling career as a three-time All-American and the 2011 NCAA National Champion. He was also awarded the 2011 NCAA “Best Wrestler of the National Tournament Award.”

Partial List of Past Envision Distinguished Speakers

The Impact of Nominating

 
Since 1985, Envision by WorldStrides has helped more than 800,000 high-achieving students, ranging from elementary school through college, expand their leadership abilities, discover their passion for a future career, and realize the power of their potential. A majority of those students were nominated by caring, inspiring teachers who recognized their potential for a bright future and rewarded them with a nomination to an Envision program.

The value and positive impact your nomination has on a student cannot be overstated. Even if your nominees decide not to attend a program, just being selected is an empowering and often a life-changing event. You have the power to make an impact—your vote of confidence in their hard work and dedication builds confidence and inspires them to keep reaching their goals.

 

Educator Testimonials

“I looked at Envision and saw something special, an extraordinary opportunity to empower kids, let them explore a career, and develop the skills they need to succeed.”

– Thomas S. Tucker, PH. D, Superintendent Princeton City Schools, Ohio and AASA National Superintendent of the Year, 2016

“Diedra's experience was positive, and I believe she grew in many ways, one of the most important being that the Forum help her define what she really wants to do with her career.”

- J. Syltie, MST, Math/Engineering Teacher and National Honor Society Adviser, Brookings, SD

“Amber had a life-changing experience in your program. Upon her return, she came in to all of my Anatomy classes and spoke to them in detail of the knowledge and experience she gained, the contacts she made, and overall how wonderful the event was. Thank you for providing our students with this great opportunity!”

- T. Caracciolo, M.Ed., Science Department Chair, North Port, FL

Additional Information

  • Supervision

    The safety and well-being of each student during the conference is our highest priority. JrNYLC is directed by a full-time staff of professional educators, and students are supervised by Advisors and Envision team members at a student-to-staff ratio of 13:1. Attendance is taken throughout the conference and all students are required to attend all activities. JrNYLC team members will be waiting at the airport to meet arriving students at their gates.

    A member of our Envision team is on location and available 24 hours a day via cell phone for any parent who has questions or requires information at any time.

  • Location and Travel

    Attendees will be housed at hotels and conference centers in the Washington, D.C. area. There will be three to four students per room, and all students will have their own bed. Nightly room checks will be performed by professional staff members who are available 24 hours a day.

    Private motor coaches provide all transportation between the conference site and program activities. No public transportation will be used during the conference.

  • Selection

    Envision by WorldStrides seeks to identify students who demonstrate leadership potential, have a history of academic achievement and will contribute to the strength and character of JrNYLC—outstanding individuals representing a variety of backgrounds and possessing a broad range of interests and goals. Envision also hopes to attract the most mature and independent individuals possible within this age group. Recognizing the age span and varying developmental stages of middle school students, the curriculum and program format has been developed to be engaging and challenging to all students.

    Educators are asked to nominate middle school students who can meet the challenge of our academic curriculum and who merit the distinction of a nomination.

  • Tuition

    Tuition includes all housing; instruction and supervision by professional Advisors; conference activities and site explorations; conference materials; breakfasts, lunches, and dinners during the conference; and private motor coach transportation to all locations during the conference. JrNYLC staff will meet arriving students at the designated airport and escort them via private motor coach to and from the conference location. Transportation to and from Washington, D.C. is not included in conference tuition.

  • Scholarships

    Do not hesitate to nominate students who can benefit from this program but who have limited financial resources. Envision by WorldStrides offers a limited number of partial scholarships to qualified students each year based upon financial need, scholastic merit, leadership achievements, and other factors. Submission of a scholarship application is required to be considered for an award. Nominees who are interested in fundraising to help offset the cost of tuition will have access to our step-by-step suggestions and activities for raising funds, as well as fundraising success stories submitted by past Envision students.

  • About Envision by WorldStrides

    For over 35 years, Envision by WorldStrides has empowered extraordinary students to become their best selves through programs that enable them to discover their passion, explore a career, and positively impact their world. In 2018, Envision became part of the WorldStrides family. The largest provider of educational travel and experiences in the United States, WorldStrides works with over 50,000 educators each year to help more than 550,000 students see the world—and themselves—in new ways.