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NYLT 2020 Leadership

National Youth Leadership Training at Big Horn

Important information on the impact of COVID-19 on National Youth Leadership Training

Scouting is committed to keeping kids safe. Unfortunately this means we will not be conducting NYLT this summer.

On the night of June 24, 2020, we received information from our state and local health governments that make it impossible for us to offer NYLT or summer camp for the 2020 season.

As we have communicated from the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, if we were not allowed to offer NYLT in 2020 we will be providing a 100% refund for payments made to the Denver Area Council for camp. The camping registrar will be contacting participant families over the next week regarding your refund. I strongly recommend you consider leaving a deposit for the 2012 Camping Season.

Needless to say, I’m disappointed to not be offering NYLT, but health and safety of all is a top priority.

Thanks again for your support and understanding. I would also like to thank my NYLT youth and adult staff for working incredibly hard over the past year developing and re-developing the NYLT sessions to accommodate all the changes we have faced. NYLT is run by a volunteer team – they are not paid – and give up countless hours to support the program they love. They have done everything in their power to develop a strong Scouting experience.

Check back in the Fall for details on NYLT 2021. We will come back from this and will continue to train the best of the best Scouts in Colorado to become outstanding leaders.

Be Prepared to Lead the Way

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT @ Big Horn) is an exciting, action-packed program designed to provide youth members with the opportunity to learn leadership skills and gain experience they can use in their home units and in other situations that would benefit from a leadership role.

The NYLT @ Big Horn course is leadership training experience sponsored by the DAC and normally held annually at Tahosa High Adventure Base near Ward, Colorado (and for 2020, conducted at Camp Dietler). Training 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 Scouting activities culminating in an overnight outpost camp.

Course Overview

A constant refrain of NYLT is, “If you can see it, you can be it.” The course centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what a leader must KNOW and what a leader must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO. The skills come alive during the week as the team goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership.

NYLT @ Big Horn is a six-day course, patterned after a month in the life of a unit. The course integrates the best of modern leadership theory with the traditional strengths of the Scouting experience. Through activities, presentations, challenges, discussions and audio-visual support, NYLT participants will be engaged in a unified approach to leadership that will give them the skills and confidence to lead well. During an NYLT course, team members find themselves going through the stages of team development. Their challenges heighten the team development process, enabling them to use their awareness of the stages to build a highly effective team that can reach its full potential.

Who Should Attend

Scouts BSA and Venturers who currently hold a key leadership role in their home unit or the unit leader feels has the potential to hold a key leadership position in the future. In order to attend an NYLT @ Big Horn course, a youth must have the following qualifications by the beginning of the course, per National Council guidelines:

Must be a registered member of a Scouting unit – Troop, Crew, or Ship.
Scouts BSA Participants must be at least 13 years old at the start date of their selected Course
Scouts BSA Participants should have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST)
Venture Scout Participants must be at least 14 (or 13 and have completed eighth grade) at the start date of their selected Course
Venture Scout Participants should have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC)
Sea Scout Participants must be at least 14 (or 13 and have completed eighth grade) at the start date of their selected Course
Sea Scout Participants should have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Ships (ISLS)
Venture Scout Participants and Sea Scout Participants are recommended to have had at least one year of camping experience. While NYLT is not an outdoor skills course, it is important that each participant have basic camping and outdoor cooking experience.
All participants must have a unit leader recommendation.
All participants must provide a current BSA Health and Medical Record form parts A, B, and C.

All Participants

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 or Venturer should be an experienced camper with good camping, hiking, and outdoor cooking skills.

What is the Involvement of the Unit Leader? NYLT is intended to strengthen the relationship between the youth leader and unit leader. The unit leader is highly encouraged to have a pre-course and post-course conference with the participant to discuss their vision and goals for future success of their home unit. Code of Ethics Every course operates according to the principles of the Scout Oath and Law. Each participant and staff member is welcomed, appreciated and valued. There is no room for hazing or for any activities that do not add to a positive learning experience for everyone.