NYLT Information

National Youth Leadership Training is an exciting, action-packed program designed for councils to provide youth members with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home troops and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others.

The NYLT course centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what he must KNOW, and what he must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO. The skills come alive during the week as the patrol goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership.

NYLT is a six-day course. Content is delivered in a troop and patrol outdoor setting with an emphasis on immediate application of learning in a fun environment. Interconnecting concepts and work processes are introduced early, built upon, and aided by the use of memory aids, which allows participants to understand and employ the leadership skills much faster.

A Month in the Life of a Scouts BSA Troop
An NYLT course is set up to represent the structure and an activity cycle of a Scouts BSA troop. The first three full days of the course represent the planning stages, complete with leadership council meetings, unit meetings, and planning for a larger event. Participants use the full range of Scouting America resources for planning and conducting meetings that are interesting, lively, and relevant—a skill they can incorporate with great effect when they return to their home units. NYLT participants put their preparations to the test with an NYLT Outpost Camp campout symbolizing the big event that culminates a typical unit’s monthly activity program cycle.

What is NYLT?

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed program designed for councils to provide youth members with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others.

Who should attend?

An NYLT course is ideal for training unit leaders. It can also be a valuable experience for other older Scouts and Venturers.
In order to attend an NYLT course, a youth must have the following qualifications by the beginning of the course: 

  • Must be a registered member of a Scouting unit.
  • Scouts BSA and Varsity Scouts must be 13 years of age and fall within the maximum age allowance for their program registration. They must be a First Class Scout and have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST). ILST is typically conducted by the Troop.  Additional ILST sessions may be conducted prior to the course for those in need. 
  • Venturers and Sea Scouts (male and female) must be at least 14, or 13 and have completed eighth grade, and fall within the maximum age allowance for their program. They must have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews or Ships. It is recommended that they have had at least one year of camping experience. 
  • Have a unit leader recommendation. 
  • Must have a current BSA Health and Medical Record form parts A, B, and C. 

Any significant health or medical restrictions that require program modification or accommodation should be communicated to the adult NYLT staff well in advance for consideration.