Blog Archives: May 2012

On April 17 after the National Service-Learning Conference dust had settled and final trainings had concluded, 36 youth from around the world boarded flights to return home. The eight-day intensive service-learning training sponsored by the Qatar Foundation International’s Yallah: Commit to Action program had come to an end, but it had only begun to impact the lives of its participants.

After weeks of planning, the first two days of training went off without a hitch. My group seemed to be engaged, they were asking great questions, and bonding as a group over the cold and rainy Minnesota weather. Once the conference began it was full steam ahead, and the QFI group joined nearly 2,000 other young people and adults involved in service-learning. They went off to attend preconference sessions, and things became a blur as I ran past a few on the escalator as I headed to a workshop presentation or stopped to chat with a small group in the exhibit hall.

And then it happened.

On Thursday I heard it — that ‘aha’ moment when you know everything just clicks. We were doing a quick reflection on our conference experiences so far when someone said, “Wow, I can’t believe a 16-year-old just like me is leading a workshop at a national conference.”

I could hear the communal murmur of “yeah” floating around the room. It was only a few seconds, but that was the point when I knew the tide had turned. Students who had started the training excited about international travel and project proposals were now beginning to take ownership and feel that they could create meaningful change and become leaders. 

From there the excitement grew.  These youth had become leaders; they facilitated icebreakers and debriefs, revised action plans, and shared their experiences at the end of the training with QFI’s executive director, Maggie Mitchell Salam. After a wonderful night of celebration, QFI responded to the commitment, dedication, and growth the youth had demonstrated by offering an RFP of sorts to fund the burgeoning projects these young leaders worked hard to refine.

About a week later I returned to the office to find the best email possible. One of the QFI youth had posted a discussion on Yallah — QFI’s online forum which made the training’s preparation with the youth possible — titled, “In Love with NYLC? Putting the pictures together.” In that discussion she reflected on her experience in Minnesota, her dedication to her project, and the feeling of interconnectedness she had developed with her peers. She has summarized the individual projects, grouped them by topic, facilitated discussions, and continues to be a source of support and motivation. While the conference and training may have been a life-changing experience for them, watching the ongoing implementation of projects for me (even via the internet) is absolutely amazing. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Whitney McKinley is the Professional Development Manager, Diversity Lead at NYLC and coordinated the YALLAH: Commit to Action training with Qatar Foundation International. All photos are courtesy of QFI via their Facebook page and used with permission.

The moment I stepped out of the car onto the gravel driveway of the Audubon Center of the North Woods, I literally jumped with excitement — NYLT is near! Jason, Whitney and I just got back from a site visit to Sandstone, Minn., to explore the location of the 2012 National Youth Leadership Training. We met several of the Audubon’s awesome staff, toured the beautiful facility, and spent the rest of the day walking through miles of wooded trails, mapping out locations for programming, and learning the lay of the land. The three of us chatted happily with anticipation all day long, hardly able to wait until participants join us on July 14. The sun was beaming, frogs were croaking, and birds and squirrels flitted about. We felt ready to welcome more than 70 high school students from across the country — and possibly the WORLD — for a life-changing week of fun, challenge, and adventure. 

But wait…maybe we’re not quite ready. In our hearts we are so prepared to have everyone here, but our heads and our to-do lists show that there is diligent work yet to be done. We have registrations to process, staff to hire, programming to plan, and supplies to be gathered. It will be a busy couple months! But it will be a joyful planning process for all of our staff and Youth Advisory Council members who are energized by this work.

For many of us, NYLT is the community that sustains us throughout the year. It is the reason we love NYLC. From the moment I first joined the NYLC staff and talked with our Youth Advisory Council members five years ago, I knew how influential the program was. I interviewed one of the YAC members to learn more and discovered that in her estimation, NYLT was the reason she stayed out of trouble and was on track to graduate from high school. From then on, I was hooked. There is power in this program, and each year I’ve seen it transform not only the students, but also the staff and adult mentors who participate. So yes, we all have a crazy couple months coming our way, but we’re looking forward to each step and are preparing for another amazing week of transformation. Come July, both our hearts AND our heads will be ready!

Amanda Larson is the Professional Development Manager, Youth Initiatives Lead at NYLC and heads up NYLC’s youth initiatives programming, including the work of the Youth Advisory Council and the National Youth Leadership Training.