What is NYLT?
National Youth Leadership (NYLT) is a six-day leadership skills course for young adults. The program content is delivered in a troop and patrol outdoor setting with an emphasis on immediate application of learning in an exciting environment. Interconnecting concepts and work processes are introduced early, built upon, and aided by the use of memory aids, which allows participants to understand and employ the leadership skills much faster.
Camp Geronimo
This course is available to all Scouts BSA and Venturing youth, male or female, aged 13 or over before the first day of the course.
Heard Scout Pueblo
This course is available to all Scouts BSA and Venturing youth, male or female, aged 13 or over before the first day of the course.
Dec-27 to Jan-1
Participants learn to use current corporate leadership skills within the framework of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. BSA National carefully developed the NYLT curriculum with input from current corporate trainers, the United States Air Force Academy and others in the training community. Graduates of this program become leaders in their units as well as leaders in their Districts, Schools, Churches, and Communities. The course is led and taught by some of the best youth leaders in the Grand Canyon Council; all of whom are graduates of the NYLT program and many have staffed multiple courses.
The Council uses NYLT as a comprehensive youth leadership training program that is in support of the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Each Course Director and their staff support this by attempting to prepare each participant to become a responsible, participating citizen and youth leader in their unit who is guided by the Scout Oath and Law.
Youth leaders and those who will be in youth leadership positions after completion of NYLT are the primary participants. Scouts must be at least 13 years old prior to the beginning of the course.
NYLT participants should have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills within their unit, prior to the beginning of the NYLT course.
There will be an orientation meeting prior to the course and unit leaders and parents are invited and encouraged to attend.
Pre-requisites:
In order to attend a NYLT course, a youth must have the following qualifications by the beginning of the course:
- Must be a registered member of a Scouting unit.
- Must have a current BSA Health and Medical Record form parts A, B, and C.
- Scouts, BSA members must be at least 13. They must have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops. Scout will be required to earn the First Class rank before attending NYLT.
- Venturers and Sea Scouts must be at least 14, or 13 and have completed eighth grade, and fall within the maximum age allowance for their program. They must have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews or Ships. It is recommended that they have had at least one year of camping experience. While NYLT is not an outdoor skills course, it is important that each participant have basic camping and outdoor cooking experience.
- Have a unit leader recommendation
National Youth Leadership Training:
Leadership Skills
The primary goal of NYLT is to develop Scouts as leaders. To be a good leader requires the knowledge and the ability to use the right tools. At NYLT, we teach the Scouts/Venturers the skills necessary to manage group dynamics and performance. These are the same skills taught at Fortune 500 companies.
The Scouts/Venturers not only learn about these skills. They are placed as leaders within patrols. Here they practice these leadership skills under the guidance of an experienced staff.
Quality Staff
A trained youth staff member is assigned to work with each patrol throughout the week. This Troop Guide is responsible for training the participants.
Youth staff members are supported by trained adult leaders, who report to a BSA Nationally-Certified Course Director.
Model Troop
Youth leaders will become a part of a Model Troop. They will be assigned to patrols based on their age and size. Patrols will be composed of Scouts from troops throughout the Council. A patrol will have no more than one Scout from a given home troop. The patrols will cook, eat, sleep, and train together. Together they will take part in many activities including an outpost hike and campout. The patrols will take turns as the Service and Program Patrol. Participants will take turns serving as Patrol Leader and participate in a daily Patrol Leader’s Council.
Submit an application to be considered for financial assistance. A unit leader endorsement will be required as a part of the application process..
The “Challenge” is voluntary and is designed to help NYLT graduates put their newly learned leadership skills to work in their home units. A vision is developed and 3 goals are established to ensure that the goals are met. The vision and goals must be approved and a candidate has one year to complete their goals. After completion, a special patch will be awarded to mark the accomplishment. All current and former NYLT participants and both youth and adult staff members are encouraged to complete the challenge.
For our Scouts to be able to participate in this fantastic leadership and growth opportunity, adults are needed to ensure the health and safety of the course and to advise or assist the youth when asked. The GCC Training Committee is currently looking for adults to assist our youth in running future NYLT courses so that we can continue this opportunity for the future leaders among our youth. NYLT is very youth led with supporting adult roles in a coaching/mentoring role, not running the course itself.
If you are interested in finding out more about this program or seeing it in action, we do offer the opportunity for adults to spend one or two days observing the course so they can understand what it is about. You may also discover additional information by speaking to our Council NYLT Coordinator, Ron Trog, at rtrog@cox.net.
NYLT Course Calendar
Resources:
- Health forms: A,B, and C
- Forms Page
- Unit Leader Recommendation Form
- Participant Equipment List
- Resource Questionnaire
- National BSA NYLT page
- Campership application – must be submitted six weeks prior to NYLT
FAQs:
Scouts will sleep two to a tent (same gender) and can leave their equipment at the site.
Another smaller backpacking type tent will be needed for the outpost. For Geronimo weeks, the scout only needs to provide the tent for the outpost experience.
It should be kept in mind that the Scouts will be required to carry everything to the outpost and back.
No. Every NYLT session has an Assistant Scoutmaster in charge of health and medical issues. The NYLT session will have an area set up as a first aid/medical area. All medications taken by any participant or staff member will stored securely with the ASM-Medical. The ASM-Medical will notify the participant/staff member when medications needs to be administered. The Scout can take the medication at the designated first aid/medical area under the observation of the ASM-Medical.
Another reason for storing the medication in the designated area is the prevention of abuse or theft.
It is the policy of Grand Canyon Council camps that all medications are to be secured.
Yes. NYLT is a week-long National BSA training session for youth. All participants will be in an approved Scout uniform at all times. The Scouts should bring a sufficient amount of clothing for the week-long session. No laundry facilities will be available to the participants. NYLT participants will be informed which uniform will be acceptable per activity.
No. The minimum age requirement is a National requirement.
- Scouts should arrive in their official Field Uniform
- Venturing Scouts should wear their Crew adopted uniform
- Two activity shirts, a cap, a neckerchief and a neckerchief slide will be issued at check-in
- Scouts will wear their Official Field Uniform for flag ceremonies and issued activity shirt with scout pants all other times
- All meals, snacks and required cooking gear will be provided on course.
- Any special dietary needs should be discussed with the Course Director prior to course.