What is the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security (NYLF/NS)? The National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security introduces outstanding students, through its interactive format, to careers in national security, intelligence, defense and the diplomatic corps. Since 1992, this six-day program has enabled America's brightest students to explore and directly participate in these career fields as well as take part in personally escorted visits to some of the most sensitive national security and diplomatic sites and facilities in the nation's capital.

Who is eligible to participate in the Forum? Students who will be in the 10^th, 11^th or 12^th grade at the time of attendance are eligible to attend the Forum.

Is there a GPA requirement? All scholars who attend must have achieved a B+ average or above and have an interest in the fields of national security, defense or diplomacy.

What is the curriculum? During current issue seminars, students engage in small group discussions and debates with experienced professionals from a variety of areas. One evening is devoted to specialties such as the Middle East, special operations, artificial intelligence, peacekeeping and diplomacy. A second evening provides exposure to different careers within the national security and government service fields through panel discussions. Following the panels, there is a career fair with representatives from federal agencies, non-governmental organizations and area universities.

One activity central to the Forum on National Security is the reality-based national security strategy exercise simulation, which extends throughout the entire week of the Forum. Students directly participate in the national security strategy simulation, assuming roles as key international relations operatives. Drawing on the week’s experiences and teamwork, students employ a crisis decision-making process similar to that employed by the nation's top policy makers. The simulation provides students with an opportunity to use critical thinking, leadership and public speaking skills to tackle the complexity of national decision-making.

How many students will be in each session? There are approximately 350-400 students per session.

Who are the speakers? The success of the Forum on National Security depends greatly on the strong relationships the National Youth Leadership Forum has built with highly respected, internationally recognized civilian policy makers and senior military officers. Through these trained and experienced individuals, students are provided rich insights into current issues and strategies taken to rise to the pinnacle of their profession. Students participate in thought-provoking question and answer sessions with these distinguished individuals. Some past speakers include: Colonel Barney Barnum, USMC (Ret); General Peter Pace, USMC, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Richard L. Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State; George Tenet, Director of Central Intelligence; Paula J. Dobriansky, Under Secretary for Global Affairs, Department of State; General Peter Schoomaker, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; Maureen Baginski, Executive Assistant Director of Intelligence, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Jami A. Miscik, Deputy Director for Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency; Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senate; and Dr. Philip E. Jones, Founder and Member of the International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE).

Which institutions participate? The government's leading academic institutions also open their doors to National Security students, where they are educated in diplomacy, international affairs and military strategy. Institutions that have participated in the past include: United States Naval Academy, Pentagon, DEA Museum, Udvar Hazy, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, State Department, Newseum, Marine Corps Base Quantico, International Spy Museum, Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate, NSA Museum, Embassy of Russia, Navy Yard Museum, Defense Intelligence Agency, Embassy of Japan, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Embassy of China, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, Central Intelligence Agency, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Diplomatic Security Service and the Embassy of Canada.

Who are the faculty advisors? All faculty advisors are college graduates with experience working with high-achieving students. The Forum on National Security values diversity among its staff. Many faculty advisors will have explicit experience with facilitating high-level experiential curriculum and many will have a strong background in the area of defense, intelligence and/or diplomacy. We also provide extensive pre-program training for our staff and perform five-year background checks on all faculty advisors.

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

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.

What does tuition cover? Tuition covers hotel accommodations, breakfasts and dinners, private motor coach transportation during the Forum (students are responsible for their own travel to and from Washington, D.C. as well as a shuttle fee from the airport to the hotel), instruction, program materials, supervisory personnel and all activities throughout the six-day program. Students will need money only for lunches and any incidentals they wish to purchase.

What is the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan? To protect and safeguard the investment parents and students make in program tuition and travel costs, we strongly recommend that you take advantage of our Tuition and Travel Protection Plan offered through Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. This valuable coverage reimburses for expenses due to late or cancelled flights, replacement of lost luggage or personal items, baggage delays, illness or injury, medical expenses and many more items. To review the specific benefits included in the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan, click here, or call Nationwide Insurance toll-free at (866) 282-3987.

Does NYLF offer financial assistance? The National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security is proud to offer a limited number of scholarships to students. Through the scholarship program, NYLF 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, NYLF has prepared a Sponsorships & Student Fundraising Guide featuring helpful, step-by-step suggestions and activities that enable nominees to fundraise.

How do I apply for a scholarship? If you received a letter and other materials in the mail regarding your nomination to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security, 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).

If there are a limited number of spaces in the Forum 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 Forum, your call will make us aware of your fundraising efforts and intent to attend.

What general security precautions do you take? The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority during the Forum. Attendees are supervised by professional forum staff. Nightly room checks are conducted to ensure that all students are safely in their rooms at Forum curfew; floors are single sex and Forum personnel and local security staff patrol the student areas throughout the evening. Students must stay with the Forum at all times unless written permission is given by a student's parent/guardian prior to participation. Private motor coaches are used during the Forum; students never use public transportation. Staff continually monitor outside conditions and implement changes in our programs as necessary. All NYLF staff and participants adhere to security procedures in place at facilities visited.

What time is room check? Forum staff will conduct a room check at 11:00 p.m. each evening. After this room check, participants are required to stay in their rooms.

How can a parent contact a student while she/he is at the Forum? NYLF suggests that families make arrangements in advance regarding phone contact. Students will have very little free time during the Forum and will spend little time in sleeping rooms. Cell phones are permitted at the Forum and may be used during social times. Calling cards are also strongly recommended. In case of an emergency, parents can contact the field office and speak with the office coordinator. The office coordinator will contact the appropriate member of the staff to locate the student and ensure he/she calls home.

The contact information for each field office is available in the Enrolled Students section.

What is the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan? To protect and safeguard the investment parents and students make in program tuition and travel costs, we strongly recommend that you take advantage of our Tuition and Travel Protection Plan offered through Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. This valuable coverage reimburses for expenses due to late or cancelled flights, replacement of lost luggage or personal items, baggage delays, illness or injury, medical expenses and many more items. To review the specific benefits included in the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan, click here, or call Nationwide Insurance toll-free at (866) 282-3987.

Where will I stay while at the Forum on National Security? The fall 2012 sessions are being housed at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center located just outside of Washington, D.C. in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The suburban campus features state-of-the-art meeting space, free wi-fi and other amenities.

What are the accommodations like for students while participating in the Forum? All students are housed four to a room, and each student will have his or her own bed. Linens, blankets, pillows and towels will be provided. Students should bring all of the clothing they will need for the duration of the Forum, as forum activities are scheduled from morning through evening and students will not have time to do laundry. There are no dry cleaning facilities convenient to the National 4-H Youth Conference Center. Telephones are located in each room and calling cards must be used to make outgoing phone calls or students will be charged for any outgoing calls made from their rooms and should be prepared to take care of this bill. Additionally, we encourage students to bring mobile phones; however, they must remain off during scheduled forum activities.

Can I request a roommate? If not, how are roommates selected? Roommate requests are not accepted. We randomly assign rooms and roommates prior to arrival day. This is done to give students the opportunity to get to know their 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.

When should I book my travel arrangements to attend the Forum? Once you have received confirmation that you have been enrolled in your desired session, you can beginmaking any travel arrangements. Feel free to contact WorldTEK, the official travel agency of the National Youth Leadership Forum, for assistance at (800) 522-1733, or you may book your travel online at www.nylf.org/WorldTEK. WorldTEK will answer any questions you may have regarding your travel, complete all of your travel arrangements and provide your necessary travel documents and materials for the reasonable fee of $28.

Which local airports should students fly into and out of for the Forum on National Security? For students attending the Forum on National Security, our staff will be stationed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) on the first day of the Forum to meet students when they arrive. Please note that we will not have staff members stationed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to meet students.

Please note, students must arrive between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the first day of their forum session and depart between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on the last day of their forum session if they plan to utilize the forum shuttle service.

Where do I meet the staff at the airport? NYLF staff members will be stationed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI) and Washington Dulles International (IAD) airports in the baggage claim area. Please refer to your Bring On Arrival Day Form or the Information for Scholars and Families document in the Enrolled Students section for specific meeting places. Students should first retrieve their luggage and then meet at their designated meeting areas.

Staff will escort students directly to the shuttle (see below for more information). Please note that we will not have staff members stationed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to meet students.

Is there a shuttle service provided from the airport? For your convenience, shuttle service between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall or Washington Dulles International airports and the National 4-H Youth Conference Center is available for a $50 nonrefundable roundtrip fee. Please note that the fee for the airport shuttle service is still $50 even if you only utilize the shuttle one-way. The first series of shuttles will depart at approximately noon and, thereafter, will run continuously. You can make a shuttle reservation and pay the $50 shuttle fee online by submitting your Mandatory Pre-Program Information Form at www.nylf.org/ns/info. Shuttle service is NOT available to or from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

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

What kind of spending money will scholars need at the Forum? Scholars should bring $8 to $10 a day for lunch and any extra spending money necessary to purchase souvenirs or incidentals.

What is the dress code? To ensure that an excellent reputation and a high standard of professionalism are maintained, all students are expected to exercise discretion and sound judgment in personal appearance and personal habits and to maintain a professional image at the Forum.

What is professional attire? The following guidelines must be observed when the dress code calls for relaxed professional attire. For men, this includes: A blazer, shirt and tie, slacks (no denim) or a suit. Dress shoes are required. Athletic shoes are not permitted. For women, this includes: Suits, dresses, blouses, skirts and pants with a jacket (no denim or sheer fabrics). Skirts are required to fall below the knee. Dress shoes are required, although heels are not recommended.

What is casual attire? The following guidelines must be observed when the dress code calls for casual attire: Including, but not limited to, shorts, denim, T-shirts, sweatshirts, athletic shoes, etc. (no sweatpants or athletic shorts). Also, consistent with our Student Code of Conduct, offensive or inappropriate clothing will not be permitted.

What is the pre-forum assignment, FUEL? Is it mandatory? The first step of your journey includes assessing your strengths and opportunities for growth. To aid in this assessment, you must complete a forum assignment entitled Feedback for Understanding Emerging Leaders (FUEL). Select at least five mentors and five peers whom you know and respect and ask them to complete a short survey. The mentors you select may be teachers, coaches, youth group leaders or other adult mentors you know. The peers you select may be friends, classmates, teammates or other people your age who interact with you on a regular basis. In addition to selecting mentors and peers, you will also need to complete a self-assessment of your strengths and opportunities for growth. You, your peers and your mentors will need to visit the following web site to complete the survey: www.nylf.org/ns/fuel. Everyone will need to log in using your Student ID number, which can be found in your enrollment confirmation. You, your mentors and peers need to all complete the survey no later than one week prior to your arrival at Forum. You will see the results at the beginning of the Forum.

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 special request.

What if my scholar loses something, or forgets to bring a personal item home after the Forum?All lost and found items are retained by staff for two weeks following the forum session. Items of higher monetary value are retained for 30 days after the forum session 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 scholar’s name on all personal belongings that he or she will be bringing to the Forum.

My question is not listed. If your question is not listed above, please click here to contact the Office of Admissions.