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), an independent, educational organization, was 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 Student Fundraising Guide helps students identify funding sources and outlines steps for a successful fundraising effort.

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

What is NYLP? Sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, the National Young Leaders Program (NYLP) is designed to introduce the nation's highest-achieving elementary students to eight key leadership traits that are critical to their success in their education and beyond. Five-day sessions are held throughout the summer in locations in Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Philadelphia, PA and Boston, MA.

Who participates in NYLP? NYLP accepts outstanding 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^st grade students who demonstrate maturity, academic excellence and leadership potential. Students are selected to attend NYLP by teachers and mentors within their community.

What does NYLP tuition cover? Tuition covers the expenses incurred by CYLC in planning and implementing the Program. Included in the tuition costs are all program staff, materials, lunches and snacks. Transportation to and from the program site is not included.

Does CYLC offer financial assistance? For nominees who are interested in fundraising to help offset the cost of tuition, CYLC has prepared a Student Fundraising Guide featuring helpful, step-by-step suggestions and activities that will enable nominees to fundraise all or part of their tuition.

If there is a limited number of spaces in NYLP 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 Program, your call will make us aware of your fundraising efforts and intent to attend.

How are students supervised? There is no higher priority than the safety and security of each and every one of our young leaders throughout their participation in the National Young Leaders Program (NYLP). CYLC has achieved a stellar, 25-year record of safely and successfully hosting leadership programs for students of all ages. We ensure that our programs are administered by the highest caliber, professionally trained and educated staff. We create, institute and strictly adhere to safety and security policies and procedures that meet the highest standards.

• Supervision - Each of our students is closely monitored every day. Students are accounted for at all times throughout the Program and are absolutely required to attend all Program activities. Students must stay with the Program at all times. Students must be signed-in and checked-out by a parent or guardian each morning and evening. There is a licensed nurse available on site during the day.
• Staffing - The Dean of Academic Affairs for the National Young Leaders Program is Dr. Marguerite C. Regan, a former high school teacher and social science department chairperson with a doctorate in political science from Purdue University. The Program is supervised, directed and administered by a staff of faculty advisors with experience in education who have received extensive training on the developmental needs of elementary school students and the NYLP curriculum. All faculty advisors are carefully selected and pass an intensive screening and training program. We carefully select only those faculty advisors and instructional support staff who specialize in supervising, teaching and mentoring young leaders in this age range. The student-to-staff ratio is strictly maintained at 9-to-1.

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 NYLP, 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 click on the Enroll Now button to the right to enroll immediately. Or you may complete the personalized application located in the invitation you received in the mail, and return it along with the tuition payment to our Office of Admissions.
• Once your application and tuition are complete, we will review availability. Should NYLP be full, you will be placed on a wait list and your 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 approximately four weeks 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. Please contact the Office of Admissions to make a special request.