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National Youth Leadership Training
OwnerBoy Scouts of America
CountryUnited States
Founded2003
 Scouting portal

The National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) Program is defined in the NYLT syllabus.[1] The program is designed to provide youth with 15 leadership skills that augment the training received in their home units. These skills, while presented in age appropriate methods, are the basis for most corporate leadership courses.

Objectives

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The objectives of the NYLT program are:[2][3][4][5][6]

  1. Give youth the confidence and knowledge to conduct a youth-run program thus learning life skills
  2. Train youth in all aspects of effective leadership, ranging from teaching skills to motivating an organization
  3. Guide the youth through the stages of team development
  4. Give youth the opportunity to share ideas and experiences with youth from other units.
  5. Enhancement of the relationship between the youth and adults.
  6. Create an environment of Scouting fellowship and fun guided by the Scout Oath and Law
  7. Experience Scouting at its best.

Key Elements

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[7][8]

A Month in the Life of a Troop

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NYLT is a six-day course where the youth live and work in an outdoor setting as part of a patrol within the NYLT troop. They experience the simulation of a month in the life of a troop, complete with Troop, patrol and patrol leaders' council meetings, campfires, Scout’s own service and planning for the big monthly outing (the outpost overnight trip at the end of the course). They use the patrol method throughout the course and rotate leadership positions so that each can experience different roles. There is an immediate application of learning in a variety of structured, fun events.

The days 2, 3 and 4 of the course simulates three weeks in the life of a troop, including troop, patrol and patrol leaders' council meetings, and a wide range of activities and games such as a camp wide geocache game, pioneering and realistic first aid. They learn to create a vision, with goals and plans, and use this process to plan for the big troop event, which enables them to test their plans. They experience learning through action at its best.

Each patrol is also given a challenge to create a shared vision of success. They use this shared vision throughout the course to help achieve all they can as a patrol. Each patrol works on the quest for the meaning of leadership and, at the end of the course, presents their understanding of this and other concepts they have learned throughout the week as a skit, song, or something they build—the possibilities are endless.

Team Development

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The concepts of team development are presented. Teams and individuals are challenged during fun activities to identify and utilize the stages of team development.

Stages in Team Development
Team Stages Development Phases Best Leadership Behavior
Forming High Enthusiasm, Low Skills Explaining
Storming Low Enthusiasm, Low Skills Demonstrating
Norming Rising Enthusiasm, Growing Skills Guiding
Performing High Enthusiasm, High Skills Enabling

All teams (and individuals) go through development stages when facing any new task or project. They begin as highly enthusiastic but relatively low-skilled team members. As they begin to realize the task may be harder than they thought, and that their skills may need some work, their enthusiasm dips. Soon, however, they begin to gain some expertise in the skill, and their confidence begins to grow. Finally, they get it, and are a highly capable and enthusiastic team.

Leadership Requires Vision, Goals, and Plans

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The concept of Creating Future Success is presented. They learn that "if you can see it, you can be it." The patrols develop shared visions that guide their actions during the course. Each Scout develops his personal vision with actions and plans for what future success looks like that he builds during the week and retains for further development.

Toolbox of Leadership Skills

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The leadership skills are:

Vision—Goals—Planning—Creating Future Success
The youth learn the process of creating a powerful vision, and then building goals and plans to accomplish that vision.
SMART Goals—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely
This method of setting goals keeps them tight and focused, and thus ensures that the youth and the team can accomplish the goals.
Planning and Problem Solving Tool—What, How, When, Who
Setting priorities, assigning tasks, deciding how to actually carry out a plan are simplified for the youth with this easy-to-follow planning guide.
SSC Assessment Tool—Start, Stop, Continue
SSC provides a nonthreatening and highly effective tool to assess progress of a team and/or an individual. By looking for new things to try, stopping actions that are not effective, and ending on a "what are we doing well" note, this tool keeps projects (and behavior) on track.
Teaching EDGE(TM)—Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable
The Teaching EDGE(TM) tool is a simple four-step process used for teaching any skill.
  • Explain - The trainer explains how something is done.
  • Demonstrate - The trainer demonstrates while explaining again.
  • Guide - The learner tries the skill while the trainer guides him through it.
  • Enable - The learner works on his own under the eye of the trainer.
Leading EDGE(TM)—Matching the leader's behavior is to the team's stage
As described above, all teams (and individuals) go through stages when facing any new task or project. The Youth learn to diagnose the stage that their team is in and then use the most effective leadership style for that stage. Leadership behavior depends on the group:
  • Explain - when the group is in the FORMING phase.
  • Demonstrate - when the group is in the STORMING phase.
  • Guide - when the group is in the NORMING phase.
  • Enable - when the group is in the PERFORMING phase.
Valuing People—ROPE—Reach out, Organize, Practice, Experience
Recognizing diversity allows the youth to learn to appreciate the differences and leverage the strengths of all of the team's members.
Conflict Resolution Tool—EAR—Express, Address, Resolve
No one likes conflict, and yet all of us face conflict at some point in our lives. Learning to effectively resolve conflict is a lifelong skill that many people are not very good at. NYLT teaches youths how to listen to all sides, address each party's concerns, and then work to effectively resolve the conflict.
Ethical Decisions—Right vs. Wrong, Right vs. Right, Trivial
We face ethical decisions every day. Some are easy to resolve, clearly right or wrong. The NYLT course goes a step further, teaching the youth how to use the Scout Oath and Law to make ethical decisions in situations where there seem to be multiple right answers.
Communication—MaSeR—Message, Sender, Receiver
Communication is essential to all, yet so often we fail at it. Why? We teach the youth the steps of effective two-way communication so that misunderstandings are avoided and real communication occurs. As with all of the other tools, this is a skill that will provide lifelong value.

Consistent Leadership Modeling

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The staff, youth and adults, of the NYLT courses are wonderful role models who continuously set the example using the NYLT skills for the youth. They work hard to ensure that they use effective communication skills, model EDGE(TM) throughout the course, share their own visions with the troop, and demonstrate servant leadership throughout the week. They create a rich learning environment that focuses on the youth so that each youth comes away from the course with a full learning experience.

Scout Oath and Law

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The course is always centered on the Scout Oath and Law, the Venturing Oath and all of the values of the Scouting program.

Have Fun

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The youth are constantly busy with so many fun activities that they are always doing something new and exciting. The best part is that they are learning all of the leadership skills while having a great time.

Traditions

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Traditions are an important element of the NYLT experience. Adding traditions that embellish the program content, will increase learning and motivation.

Program Explained

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The NYLT syllabus[1] contains a sequence, a template and content for teaching the 15 leadership skills. To understand and effectively deliver the program, the theory of effective training is employed. The syllabus contains the concepts discussed but presents them in a simplified cookbook without providing the understanding required to be truly effective.

The trainers of leadership skills understand:

  1. The program trains the youth in four major topics or themes. The themes are Creating Future Success, Situational Leadership, Values and Exchanging Information. Creating Future Success is the goal of the presentations: Finding Your Vision I, Setting Your Goals, Preparing Your Plans and Finding Your Vision II. Situational Leadership is developed in the presentations: Developing Your Team, The Leading EDGE, The Teaching EDGE and Resolving Conflict. Values are explored and reinforced in the presentation of Leading Yourself, Making Ethical Decisions, Valuing People and Be, Know, Do. Exchanging Information is the focus of the presentations: Communicating Well I, the SSC Assessment technique, Solving Problems and Communicating Well II. The syllabus includes many concepts that are pervasive in corporate leadership programs. The syllabus includes the concepts of 1) shared vision[9] as advanced by Kouzes and Posner, 2) forming, storming, norming and preforming stages of team development as defined by Bruce Tuckman, 3) Situational leadership [10] as developed by Ken Blanchard (who has contributed to the Boy Scouts of America leadership training programs), 4) Be, Know, Do[11][12] as developed by the US Army, 5) SMART(ER) [13] goals as defined by George T Doran, 6) Servant leadership [14] as characterized by Jim Collins and 7) the communication model attributed to Aristotle. As a basis of the program these concepts train the youth in life skills that are practiced and used in their Scouting activities, but applicable to other school and career pursuits.
  2. That the process of training means more than presenting. Training, more than presenting, implies that the learner have the ability to use the presented leadership skills. Several processes are employed to take the learner from naïve about leadership to practicing leadership skills:
    • The training sequence for each leadership skill utilizes the EDGE process. Each skill is Explained and Demonstrated, then the learner is Guided through its application, finally the learner is Enabled through repeated use of the skills in challenging activities.[1]
    • The training sequence for each leadership skill utilizes principles of Effective Teaching (from the JLTC syllabus[15] or what White Stag refers to as Manager of Learning[16][17]). Although not taught, the syllabus uses the Effective Teaching sequence: learning objectives, discovery, teaching / learning, application and evaluation. The conscious competence learning model started by Gordon Training International, Will Taylor’s stages of learning, David Kolb’s four stage learning cycle,[18][19] Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy [20][21][22][23] of the cognitive domain and the concepts of Intentional Learning (IL) provide the foundation for the principles of the Effective Teaching sequence.
    • The training sequence for each leadership skill utilizes principles of differentiated learning[24][25][26] that uses individual differences to shape the training content. It provides clear definition of the concepts, facts and skills required to perform as a leader. Trust is created through the use of a learning environment, called “Special Place”, where learners can experiment without the fear of criticism. Fit is achieved because the difficulty of the material is slightly more advanced than the learner’s current skill level thus conforming to the zone of proximal development (ZPD) defined by Lev Vygotsky (1978) and supported by the work of Fisher et al., (1980). Voice is ensured through team activities that require the learners to use their skills and honored through encouraging, affirming, supporting, mentoring and responding with honesty. Taught by the learner’s peers, the syllabus uses a variety of instructional approaches that invite learner-centeredness and flexibility.
    • The training sequence utilizes coaching and mentoring as an instructional and guidance tool, essential for learner development. Coaching and mentoring inspires and empowers learners, builds commitment, increases productivity, grows talent, and promotes success.[27]
    • The training sequence is enhanced by actively listening to the learners to check for content, learning and confusions. Repeating, rephrasing and reflecting the learner’s words focuses the discussion and helps the learner develop a self-awareness of learning. Knowing and using different type of questions controls the flow of the discussion.
  3. That the program is constructed as a sequence of challenging activities or hurdles[16] that were developed to step the learner through the training process. Ensuring that each hurdle is crossed will help the learner ingest the content one skill at a time and provide the learner the opportunity to demonstrate learned skills, thus enabling the learner for the future.
  4. That the program provides the learners with the motivation to use the leadership skills and grow into better leaders. The syllabus provides the five levels of the human need hierarchy identified by Maslow, promotes the Theory Y leader, identified by McGregor, which increases motivation and utilizes Expectancy Theory, as defined by Vroom, to provide desired rewards for the learners.
  5. That the program plays to learners memory processes to help the learners retain the knowledge delivered. The use of 1) spirit and traditions,[8][28] 2) episodic moments,[29][30] 3) teaching a skill,[31] 4) a reflective environment (see Introspection) and 5) quantifying the level of knowledge attained,[20] are methods that maximizes the learners retention.
  6. That the patrol method[32] provides the environment for learners to practice and improve their leadership skills. It is the Petri dish of leadership where the fundamental learning and practice for leadership happens. Teaching, modeling,[33] coaching and embracing (i.e. EDGE) the patrol method are activities necessary to support the growth of the learners.
  7. That assessment is fundamental to leadership and that the syllabus provides a tool 1) to access and reinforce learning, 2) that assessing the learners helps them grow, 3) that assessing learning helps the program adapt to insure that the intended learning is being understood and 4) that the program is being successful in delivering trained leaders back into their communities. This approach conforms to Kirkpatrick’s first three levels of training evaluation.[34] The fourth level inherent in the program is the ability of the youth to teach the leadership skills. Kouzes and Posner, who state, “the best leaders are teachers “and the” best way to learn something is to teach it to somebody else, reinforce this theory.[31]
  8. That this program is one element of a continuum[7] and that the program is providing one (or several) step(s) in the learners journey but there is more learning to come.
  9. That by delivering the program, they are also learners.[31] Both youth and adults that are responsible for program delivery are learners, trainers, coaches, mentors and friends to the learners and each other. As such the roles and responsibilities for program delivery need to be understood such that optimum performance can be attained.[35]
  10. That the health and environmental requirements and concerns may impact the program delivery. The program may use substances that effect either individuals or the environment in general. Adherence to BSA,[36] state and federal regulations are required. Processes and guidelines must be understood for successful program delivery.

Conducting a National Youth Leadership Training course takes a great deal of planning, plenty of inspiration, and the enthusiastic participation of many dedicated people. The rewards for youth, staff, and the Scouting movement are tremendous.

References

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  1. ^ a b c National Youth Leadership Training (PDF). 34490A. Irving, Texas: Boy Scouts of America. 2005. ISBN 0839544901. Retrieved 11-5-2009. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ "BSA Vision Statement". U.S. Scouting Service Project. Retrieved July 22, 2008.
  3. ^ Great Trail Council, BSA (2011). "NYLT" (PDF). Great Trail Council, BSA. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  4. ^ Pine Tree Council, BSA (2011). "National Youth Leadership Training". Pine Tree Council, BSA. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  5. ^ Aloha Council, BSA (2011). "NYLT". Aloha Council, BSA. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  6. ^ Blue Ridge Mountains Council (2007). "Foxfire (National Youth Leadership Training)". Blue Ridge Mountains Council. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  7. ^ a b "The Youth Leadership Training Continuum: A Guide for Scout Leaders and Parents". Supplemental Training Modules. Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  8. ^ a b National Youth Leadership Training (PDF). 34490A. Irving, Texas: Boy Scouts of America. 2005. Staff Guide-1–4. ISBN 0839544901. Retrieved 11-5-2009. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. ^ Kouzes, James M. (2001). The Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition. Jossey-Bass. p. 416. ISBN 978-0787984915. Retrieved 2011-10-02. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Blanchard, Ken (2000). One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams. William Morrow. p. 128. ISBN 978-0688172152. Retrieved 2011-10-02. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ The Center for Army Leadership (2004). The U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual. McGraw-Hill. p. 300. ISBN 978-0071436991.
  12. ^ Army Leadership (2002). "Be, Know, Do". Leader to Leader Journal. 26 (Fall 2002): 21–27. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  13. ^ Doran, George T. (Nov 1981). "There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives". Management Review. 70 (11).
  14. ^ Collins, Jim (2001). [[Good to Great]]: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't. HarperBusiness. p. 300. ISBN 978-0066620992. Retrieved 2011-10-02. {{cite book}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  15. ^ Boy Scouts Of America (1995). Junior Leadership Training Conference Staff Guide. Boy Scouts Of America. p. 340. ISBN 0839545339.
  16. ^ a b Phelps, Brian (2001). Resources for Leadership, Sourcebook for Managers of Learning. TechPros. p. 302. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  17. ^ Phelps, Brian (2011-10-02). "Managing of Learning". White Stag Leadership Development. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  18. ^ Cooper, Cary L. (1975). "Toward an applied theory of experiential learning". Theories of Group Process. John Wiley. p. 277. ISBN 978-0471994527. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ Smith, Mark K. (2001). "david a. kolb on experiential learning". infed. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  20. ^ a b Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals; Handbook I: Cognitive Domain New York, Longmans, Green, 1956.
  21. ^ L. W. Anderson, D. R. Krathwohl, Peter W. Airasian, Kathleen A. Cruikshank, Richard E. Mayer, Paul R. Pintrich, James Raths, and Merlin C. Wittrock (eds) (2000) A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Allyn and Bacon
  22. ^ Anderson, L. & Krathwohl, D. A (2001) Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives New York: Longman
  23. ^ Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of bloom's taxonomy: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41 (4), 212-218.
  24. ^ Tomlinson, Carol Ann (2008). "The Goals of Differentiation". Educational Leadership. 66 (3): 26–30. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  25. ^ Tomlinson, Carol Ann (2005). "Traveling the road to differentiation in staff development". JSD. 26 (4): 8–12. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  26. ^ Hall, Tracey (2011). "Differentiated Instruction and Implications for UDL Implementation". National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials at CAST, Inc.: 1–24. Retrieved 2011-10-02. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ Serrat, Olivier (2009). "Coaching and Mentoring" (PDF). Knowledge Solutions. July 2009 (54): 1–5. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  28. ^ Phelps, Brian (2011). "Spirit and Traditions Methods". White Stag Leadership Development. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  29. ^ Sprenger, Marilee (2008). Differentiation through Learning Styles and Memory. Corwin Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-1412955454.
  30. ^ Tileston, Donna Walker (2005). "Teaching for Long-Term Memory Is a Primary Goal". 10 Best Teaching Practices. Corwin Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-1412914727.
  31. ^ a b c Kouzes, James M. (2006). "The Best Leaders Are Teachers". A Leader's Legacy. Jossey-Bass. p. 208. ISBN 978-0787982966. Retrieved 2011-10-04. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ Phelps, Brian (2011). "Creating Teams That Win / Creating The Patrol Method". White Stag Leadership Development. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  33. ^ Phelps, Brian (2011). "Setting the Example". White Stag Leadership Development. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  34. ^ Watkins, R., Leigh, D., Foshay, R. and Kaufman, R. (1998). “Kirkpatrick Plus: Evaluation and Continuous Improvement with a Community Focus.” Educational Technology Research & Development, 46(4): 90-96.
  35. ^ National Youth Leadership Training (PDF). 34490A. Irving, Texas: Boy Scouts of America. 2005. Staff Guide-11–44. ISBN 0839544901. Retrieved 11-5-2009. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  36. ^ Boy Scouts of America (2011). Guide to Safe Scouting. Boy Scouts of America. p. 82. ISBN 978-0839544166. Retrieved 2011-10-06.

Further reading

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  • Block, Nelson R.; Proctor, Tammy M. (2009). Scouting Frontiers: Youth and the Scout Movement's First Century. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1443804509.
  • Perry, Rick (February 12, 2008). On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For. Macon, GA: Stroud & Hall. ISBN 978-0979646225.
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