How the NYLT Leadership Academy takes your council’s NYLT course to the next level

By Bryan Wendell | November 14, 2018

Ready to take your council’s National Youth Leadership Training to the next level?

Encourage one or more of your youth NYLT staffers to attend the NYLT Leadership Academy.

To understand NYLT Leadership Academy, you must first understand NYLT. NYLT is a council-offered leadership training experience for young people. Scouts and Venturers leave NYLT as more effective leaders of troops, crews and ships. In many units, the top leader (troop senior patrol leader, crew president, ship boatswain) is required to complete NYLT.

To have the most productive NYLT course possible, you want to give NYLT youth staff members the right tools to be excellent leaders, presenters and trainers.

That’s where the NYLT Leadership Academy comes in.

It’s all about training the trainers and is designed for youth who staff their home council’s NYLT course.

NYLT Leadership Academy is offered four times in July at three different locations: St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

Who can attend NYLT Leadership Academy?

The weeklong course is for Scouts and Venturers who meet these qualifications:

Have served, or have been selected to serve, on the youth staff of a local council National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) course.
Have completed your council’s NYLT. If a participant’s council does not have a youth leader training program, he or she may still qualify by working with a council representative to become familiar with the NYLT Staff Guide.
Have earned the First Class rank or above (Boy Scouts only). All Venturers are eligible.
Be 14 by the opening day of course but not yet 18. Venturers must not have turned 21.
Be willing to take back to the council’s NYLT the knowledge and skills acquired at the NYLT Leadership Academy.

When was NYLT Leadership Academy founded?

It was founded 13 years ago and is the successor to the National Junior Leader Instructor Camp (NJLIC) courses originally taught at Philmont Scout Ranch and Schiff Scout Reservation.

Sidebar: As a graduate of NJLIC myself, I’m glad to see the legacy of that fun, transformative course continues today.

What’s the purpose of NYLT Leadership Academy?

To train youth staff to be world-class presenters, evaluators and leaders of their home council’s NYLT courses.

Who teaches NYLT Leadership Academy?

Outstanding youth from all parts of the country.

What’s the feedback about the course?

Councils who regularly send youth to the NYLT Leadership Academy report more prepared and confident youth staff, resulting in significant improvements in the quality of their NYLT courses.

Many councils require their NYLT SPLs to be NYLT Leadership Academy graduates.

Scouts and Venturers, meanwhile, say it’s the best leadership development program they have experienced.

When’s it offered?

Every summer in Washington, D.C., St. Louis, and Los Angeles.

Are scholarships available?

Yes, if your council sends enough youth to qualify. See this site for details.

Where can I learn more?

At NYLT-LeadershipAcademy.org.

Video: The youth perspective on NYLT Leadership Academy