National Youth Leadership Training

 This Course is open to Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers

What is National Youth Leadership Training?

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed program designed for councils to provide youth members with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others.

The  NYLT Course is leadership training experience is conducted by highly qualified youth staff under the supervision of adult advisors.

The course models a month in the life of a unit. The training consists of six days of Scout activities culminating on the in an overnight outpost camp.

The Scout will learn the fundamentals of good leadership. These include the skills of motivating people and getting the job done. They are presented in a form that encourages the Scout to practice these skills as they are learned. The Scout will learn the importance of forming a group into a unit that is working together because they want to. The tools of communications, identifying and using resources, representing the group and dealing with problems will all be presented. Your Scout will have an opportunity to practice these skills while learning the kinds of results they can bring. The skills related to planning, effective teaching, and sharing leadership also will be presented. These tools are the ones that will get the job done. Scouts are challenged through various Team activities to provide practical, hands on, experience in the use of these skills. The Scout leaves with a “Leadership Toolkit” to aid him in applying his newly acquired skills back in the Troop.

Our focus at NYLT is on the leadership skills and providing an opportunity to use and strengthen those skills. Participants who are Boy Scouts must have achieved the rank of First Class or higher prior to attending NYLT. Venturers must have a basic knowledge of these skills as well. It is presumed all participants possess skills in the areas of cooking, fire building, camping, knot tying, safety and first aid.

Who Should Attend NYLT?

Any Scout wishing to perfect their leadership skills. These will help in troop and crew life situations.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to attend an NYLT course, a youth must have the following qualifications by the beginning of the course:

Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts

  • must be 13 years of age, and complete eight grade and have not reached their 18th birthday
  • must be at lease a First Class Scout
  • must have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops
  • must have the recommendation of their Scoutmaster

Venturer:

  • must be at least 14 years old
  • must have completed Crew Officer Orientation
  • must have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews
  • must have the recommendation of the Crew Advisor
  • It is advised that Venturers over the age of 18 should consider taking the Wood Badge for the 21st Century leadership course in place of NYLT.

He or she must agree to spend the entire scheduled week participating in the National Youth Leadership Training Course.

He or she should have held a leadership position in his or her unit, if possible, or be considering a position in the near future.

The Scout should be an experienced camper with good camping, hiking and outdoor cooking skills.

A Final Thought:

Some may think that two weekends isn’t long enough to teach a youth how to become a leader. Others believe two weekends is just too long. Neither is correct and both are right. Becoming a leader is an evolutionary process. The more practice they get using their leadership skills the better leaders they become. The NYLT course gets Scouts started on the right path by presenting leadership skills, helps identify and strengthens the skills they already possess and gives them an opportunity to try out and hone those skills in a controlled, training environment. The Scout really learns leadership by applying the skills he learns back in his home Troop under the guidance of his Scoutmaster. The training of youth leaders is the responsibility of the Scoutmaster/Crew Advisor. NYLT is designed to support, not replace, the Scoutmaster’s/Crew Advisor’s role in the training process. All scouts who attend will do so as representatives of their home units and will wear the uniform and insignia of their home units.

Health Forms

Health forms are a requirement for participants and all staff members. Please download your BSA Health Form (Parts A, B, and C)