The following questions are most frequently asked by parents or students. If you are an educator or mentor, please follow the link on the left for more FAQs.

What is CYLC and how long has the organization existed? The Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC), a nonpartisan educational organization, was founded in 1985 and is located in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to foster and inspire young people to achieve their full leadership potential. To date, over 200,000 young people representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, American Territories and over 100 countries have participated in CYLC programs.

How is CYLC funded? CYLC is a tuition-based, self-supporting organization, with many students securing financial support from local business, civic, community and leadership organizations. The CYLC fundraising guide [PDF, 178K] helps students identify funding sources and outlines steps for a successful fundraising effort. In addition, the Congressional Youth Leadership Council Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and the Council award a limited number of partial and full scholarships based on financial need, scholastic merit, leadership achievements and other factors.

Does CYLC have any political affiliation? No, the Congressional Youth Leadership Council is a nonpartisan, educational organization.

What is GYLC? Sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) offers students from countries all over the world the unique opportunity to interact with each other and explore global leadership issues. The theme of the program is The Leaders of Tomorrow Preparing for the Global Challenges and Responsibilities of the Future. Specifically, the students focus on various global issues, including communications, peace and security, economics, law and human rights, diplomacy and the role of the United Nations. By participating in activities that highlight these topics and utilizing the resources of Washington, D.C. and New York City, Vienna, Budapest and Prague, or Beijing, Hangzhou or Shanghi. GYLC scholars walk away with a greater understanding of the complexities of global issues as well as their future roles and responsibilities as leaders.

Who participates in GYLC? GYLC accepts students who will be 16-18 years of age during the Conference. These remarkable scholars are nominated by high school educators or CYLC alumni, in conjunction with school officials. In addition, Achievement Nominations are granted based on information provided on voluntary pre-college surveys, such as the Student Search program sponsored by the College Board and the National Research Center for College & University Admissions Talent Identification Program. Survey participants have requested that the survey information be made available to colleges, universities and other approved educational organizations.

What does GYLC tuition cover? Tuition covers the expenses incurred by CYLC in planning and implementing the program. Included in the tuition costs are housing, all breakfasts and dinners, curriculum materials and private motor coach transportation between and within the Conference host cities. Scholars will need money for lunches, souvenirs and other incidentals.

Does CYLC offer financial assistance? The Congressional Youth Leadership Council Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and the Council award a limited number of partial and full scholarships based on financial need, scholastic merit, leadership achievements and other factors.

Because CYLC scholarship funds are limited, we have created a fundraising guide [PDF, 178K] to help you defray tuition costs. The fundraising guide helps students secure support from their local business, civic, community and leadership organizations to finance conference participation.

If there is a limited number of spaces in GYLC and applications are processed in the order in which they are received, what if no spaces are available by the time I am able to accrue full tuition through fundraising? We recognize that fundraising may delay the submission of your application, so we encourage you to contact the Office of Admissions once you initiate fundraising efforts. While we cannot guarantee a space in the Conference, your call will make us aware of your fundraising efforts and intent to attend.

Where will I stay while at GYLC? Students and staff reside at local hotels and universities in the United States and in hotels and conference centers in Europe and China.

How are students supervised? Students are closely supervised 24 hours a day. Our staff includes faculty advisors, who serve as educational facilitators and chaperones, security personnel, operations personnel, as well as the program director. The student-to-staff ratio is 16-to-1. Faculty advisors take attendance several times a day at every conference site and room checks every evening. Hall monitors are employed to ensure that students remain in their rooms and to provide support for students who become ill or have an emergency at night.

Where can I get a sample schedule? To view a sample schedule for the U.S. please click here [PDF, 45K], for Europe please click here [PDF, 45K], or for China click here [PDF, 44K]. The schedules are provided to demonstrate the pace and composition of a typical session.

Once I submit an application and tuition payment, what happens? Is a space guaranteed? Once you have been invited to attend GYLC, you should follow the guidelines below to ensure that you are enrolled in the program. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to apply early.

• You should enroll online or complete the personalized application located in the invitation and return it along with full tuition payment to our Office of Admissions.
• Once your application and tuition are complete, we will review availability. Should GYLC be full, you will be placed on a wait list and payment will not be processed.
• If you are accepted, we will send an acceptance letter within approximately four weeks. In addition, we will provide a detailed packet of information prior to the start of the program.

Can special dietary needs be met? Vegetarian options are always available, and kosher meals can be made available upon request. All dietary needs must be indicated on the online Travel and Information Form, and, if necessary, a staff member will contact you to discuss any special arrangements that need to be made for you.

What safety measures does GYLC follow?

• We greet students at the airport and provide transportation to the Conference site.
• We only provide single-sex dorm rooms.
• The student-to-staff ratio is 16-to-1.
• Students are supervised at all times.
• Our staff is comprised of highly trained and experienced faculty advisors.
• Security officers or late night hall monitors are on duty each evening.
• Evening bed/security checks occur each night.
• Students travel by private motor coach and never use public transportation.

• If you are applying to enroll in GYLC that takes place in Washington, D.C. and New York City, this information is required for major conference components, including entering the U.S. Department of State, Embassy Visits and the United Nations.
  • U.S. citizens, only your U.S. social security number and driver's license number and state are required. We do not need passport information.
  • Non U.S. citizens, only your passport details are required.
• If you are applying to enroll in GYLC that takes place in Vienna, Budapest and Prague, this information is required for securing your hotel sleeping room and for crossing the four different countries' borders. All scholars are required to have a passport.
  • For all scholars, all passport details are required. We do not need U.S. social security numbers.
• If you are applying to enroll in GYLC that takes place in Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai, this information is required for securing your hotel sleeping room. All scholars are required to have a passport.
  • For all scholars, all passport details are required. We do not need U.S. social security numbers.