What is CYLC, and how long has the organization existed? The Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC) is a nonpartisan, educational organization, founded in 1985 and is located just outside of Washington, D.C. in Vienna, VA. 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 Sponsorships & Student Fundraising Guide helps students identify funding sources and outlines steps for a successful fundraising effort. In addition, JrNYLC is proud to offer scholarships to qualified nominees.

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

What is JrNYLC? Sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) curriculum uniquely explores the academic study of leadership through the lens of American history with distinctive field studies that bring these concepts to life. Throughout the Conference, hands-on exercises introduce fundamental aspects of leadership including character, communication, teamwork, problem solving, goal setting and respect. Students focus on their leadership delegation's assigned topic, utilizing site explorations as leadership case studies. Additionally, students attend workshops on different social advocacy topics and in turn, form action plans to implement newly cultivated leadership skills at home, in their schools and in their communities. Teamwork skills are developed as leadership delegations work to prepare the culminating Youth Leadership Projects. The continuing relevance of leadership is revealed through the study of various historical time periods. Using our nation’s capital as the classroom, students are inspired and motivated to fulfill their own leadership potential.

Who participates in JrNYLC? JrNYLC accepts outstanding middle school students who demonstrate maturity, academic excellence and leadership potential. Students are selected to attend JrNYLC by teachers and mentors within their community.

How do I find out who nominated me to attend JrNYLC? We seek only the most outstanding students with academic promise and leadership potential. The qualifications for nomination and enrollment are necessarily strict, and students who meet those standards are selected by:

• Educators, youth organization advisors, participating institutions and CYLC alumni

Where can I get a sample schedule? Please click here to view a sample schedule, which is provided to demonstrate the pace and composition of a typical session.

Once I submit an Enrollment Application and tuition payment, what happens? Is a space guaranteed? Once you have been invited to attend JrNYLC, 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 and your parent should enroll online or complete the personalized application located in the invitation and return it along with tuition payment to our Office of Admissions. Should JrNYLC 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.

What is the Student Code of Conduct? Click here to read the complete Student Code of Conduct.

What does JrNYLC tuition cover? Tuition covers the expenses incurred by CYLC in planning and implementing the program. Included in the tuition costs are lodging, all breakfasts and dinners, lunches (excluding arrival and departure days), curriculum materials, airport shuttle to and from the conference site and compensation for the faculty advisors. Transportation to and from home and Washington, D.C. is NOT included in tuition, as many families want flexibility in making their travel arrangements, such as using airline miles for flights.

Students attending the program will only need money for personal spending on items such as souvenirs, snacks and other incidentals.

How do I apply for a Scholarship? If you received a letter and other materials in the mail regarding your selection to attend the Junior National Young Leaders Conference, click here to view all available scholarships.

Where do I find my Student ID to access the online scholarship application?Your Student ID can be found in the letter and on the Enrollment Application you received in the mail. If you have enrolled in the program, your Student ID can also be found in your acceptance materials. When entering your Student ID, be sure to include the dash. (Ex: 1000000-10000000).

Does CYLC offer financial assistance?The Junior National Young Leaders Conference is proud to offer a limited number of scholarships to students. Through the scholarship program, CYLC opens the door to young leaders from a variety of backgrounds across the U.S.

For nominees who are interested in fundraising to help offset the cost of tuition, CYLC has prepared a Sponsorships & Student Fundraising Guide featuring helpful, step-by-step suggestions and activities that enable nominees to fundraise.

If there are a limited number of spaces in JrNYLC and Enrollment 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.

How and when will I receive notification that I have been either awarded or denied a scholarship?Scholarship applicants should expect notification by e-mail approximately two weeks after the scholarship deadline date has passed. Scholarship applicants who do not provide an operable e-mail address will receive notification by mail, approximately three weeks after the scholarship deadline date has passed. The scholarship deadline date is listed on the Tuition & Financial Assistance page.

How are students supervised? Students are closely supervised by a professionally trained staff. Our staff includes faculty advisors, who serve as educational facilitators and chaperones, security personnel, operations personnel and a program director. The student-to-staff ratio is 17-to-1. Faculty advisors perform bus counts at every site and room checks every evening. Night 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.

• 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 17-to-1.
• Our staff is comprised of highly trained and experienced faculty advisors.
• Night monitors are on duty each evening.
• Evening room checks occur each night.
• Students travel by private motor coach and never use public transportation.

Where will I stay while at JrNYLC?Attendees and staff reside at local universities, hotels or conference centers in the greater Washington, D.C. area. The 2013 spring and summer sessions are being housed at the National 4H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, MD and the Hilton Washington Dulles in Herndon, VA. Students will be housed three to a room, and each student will have his or her own bed. Please be aware that roommate requests are not accepted. Please confirm that your scholar has enrolled in the desired session before making any travel arrangements.

Can I request a roommate? Roommate requests are not accepted. We randomly assign rooms and roommates prior to your arrival day. This is done to give scholars the opportunity to get to know peers from other areas of the country. We strongly believe that learning about - and from - other young leaders from all over the country provides a significant leadership development opportunity.

Which local airports should students fly into and out of for JrNYLC?
For students attending the 2013 spring and summer sessions, staff will be available to meet students only at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Shuttle service will NOT be available to or from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) or Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).

Please note, students must arrive between noon and 5:30 p.m. on the first day of their conference session and depart between noon and 4 p.m. on the last day of their conference session.

Who will meet me at the airport? JrNYLC staff members will be wearing name badges and will meet your child at the arrival gate. We will contact you with the name of the staff member the week prior to the start of the Conference. Note: Because this information is not required to make a flight reservation, we encourage you to begin making your flight arrangements as soon as you receive official confirmation of your enrollment.

If you are dropping your child off at the airport, please refer to your Bring On Arrival Day form for baggage claim meeting places.

Do I fly alone or can my parents fly with me? It is up to your parents whether they would like to fly with you or have you fly alone. If you fly alone, we will have two greeters meet you right at the gate after you get off the plane.

What does unaccompanied minor status mean? When airlines offer the additional assistance of their personnel to a minor child traveling without a parent, guardian or other trusted adult, the airline refers to this as "unaccompanied minor status."

Can I book my flight directly through CYLC? The Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC) has selected WorldTEK, a travel management company, to serve as its official travel agency. We highly recommend that CYLC families contact WorldTEK to determine the lowest available airfares and arrange their travel. Click here to learn more.

My family would like to stay in the area during the Conference. Can you recommend a hotel? Listed below are recommended area hotels for families of JrNYLC attendees who wish to stay in the area during the Conference.

• American Inn of Bethesda
  8130 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814
  Phone: (800) 323-7081
• Bethesda Court Hotel
  7740 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814
  Phone: (800) 874-0050
• Bethesda Marriott
  5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD 20814
  Phone: (888) 236-2427
• Hyatt Regency Bethesda
  One Bethesda Metro Center, Bethesda, MD 20814
  Phone: (800) 233-1234

What is the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan? Each student has the option of enrolling in our Tuition and Travel Protection Plan for an additional fee. This trip cancellation insurance is recommended and can be purchased during enrollment. If you would like to know more specifics about the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan, please call the plan administrator, Nationwide, toll-free at (866) 282-3987.

What is the pre-Conference assignment, FUEL? The first step of your journey includes assessing your strengths and opportunities for growth. To aid in this assessment, you must complete a pre-Conference assignment entitled Feedback for Understanding Emerging Leaders (FUEL).

When is the deadline to submit my FUEL form? Is the assignment mandatory? Please ask your mentors to complete the survey no later than one week prior to your arrival at the Conference. You will see the results on the first day of the Conference. The assignment is mandatory for all scholars.

Can special dietary needs be met? Vegetarian options are always available, and kosher meals can be made available upon request. Please contact the Office of Admissions to make a special request.

What if my son/daughter loses something, or forgets to bring a personal item home after the Conference?All lost and found items are retained by conference staff for 2 weeks following the Conference. Items of higher monetary value are retained for 30 days after the Conference concludes. After 30 days, all items remaining are discarded or donated. We strongly recommend following the advice provided in the suggested packing list, which includes placing your child's name on all personal belongings that he or she will be bringing to the Conference.

My question is not listed.If your question is not listed, please try searching for it in the search box below or here to contact the Office of Admissions.