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Youth Leadership Summit
Frequently Asked Questions
from Applicants
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- Can I apply to the Youth Leadership
Summit?
- What's the difference between Scholars and
Alumni?
- What am I responsible for if selected?
- What kind of report does the Summit
produce?
- How much does the Youth Leadership Summit
cost?
- Do I have to bring a chaperone?
- What do scholars and alumni wear during the
conference?
- What is a typical day like at the Summit?
- Can I Apply to the Youth
Leadership Summit?
The Youth Leadership Summit is open to all GEAR UP students who will
have completed the 10th, 11th, or 12th
grades by the summer of 2009. There are no official academic
requirements to apply. We want the scholars and alumni to be a diverse
and multi-faceted group, so we seek students with both proven leadership
success and the potential for leadership.
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What’s the difference
between Scholars and Alumni?
Thirty
scholars are selected each year to attend the Youth Leadership Summit
for the first time. In addition, four Scholars from the previous
year's Summit are selected to return for a
second year. These students, known as Alumni, serve as student leaders
and help facilitate program activities.
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- What am I responsible for
if selected?
Students who are selected to be a part of the Youth Leadership Summit
will be expected to complete quite a bit of work.
- Prior to the conference, scholars must write a statement about what
they hope to get out of their experience, as well as quickly complete
and return Summit registration paperwork. There are pre-Summit training
sessions that everyone must participate in, using an online conference
program called CENTRA.
- During the conference, the focus is on a report. Scholars and alumni
will participate in a variety of activities to help shape their report
and presentation to the conference attendees. There is a lot to be done
and little time, and most former scholars will tell you that you will
work very hard during the Summit getting everything together. That's not
to say that you won't enjoy yourself; however, you should know that this
isn't a sight seeing trip.
- Following the conference, all scholars and alumni are expected to
turn in a final outcome assessment discussing their experience and what
they took from it. They are expected to play larger roles in their
schools and communities after returning home, helping to spread the
message of GEAR UP and the Youth Leadership Summit to other
students.
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- What kind of report does the
Summit produce?
The goal of the Youth Leadership Summit is to give students a voice in
their own education. Students are the best resource available when it
comes to the issues facing education today; they are experiencing first
hand the realities of being a student that many teachers and
administrators are not aware of. The Summit report provides an
opportunity for scholars and alumni to express their concerns,
suggestions, and questions about education to a variety of stakeholders
in education including teachers, administrators, members of congress,
parents, and community and business partners. While the specific
guidelines of the report may differ slightly from year to year, the
overall goal is to identify key issues within education and provide
solutions that students will be receptive to.
The method used to present the report is entirely up to the scholars and
alumni. Basically, the stage belongs to them for thirty minutes.
Previous years presentations have included anything and everything,
including skits, speeches, songs, poems, even dances! This is a time for
the real student voice to be heard, and scholars and alumni are
encouraged to be creative in their presentation.
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- How much does the Youth
Leadership Summit cost?
The Summit should be of no charge to scholars or alumni. Being selected
to the program includes:
- Conference registration
fees
- Training sessions from GEAR UP
for Excellence
- Training materials, a resource
binder, and other leadership materials
- All meals during the Summit,
from breakfast on Sunday to lunch on Wednesday
- Transportation during Summit
events
Your GEAR UP Program will cover your travel to and from the Summit and
your stay at the hotel. Many programs have been known to do fundraisers
to help cover the costs of attending the summit. Scholars and alumni are
only responsible for spending money, should they choose to bring
any.
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- Do I have to bring a
chaperone?
Yes. All scholars and alumni must bring a chaperone. Typically,
at least one teacher or GEAR UP employee from the student's program will
be attending the NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference and can serve as
their chaperone. All chaperones are expected to register for and attend
the conference. Chaperones will not have a large role during the Summit,
so they will be able to attend conference events. For more information
about the role of chaperones, see the Frequently
Asked Questions from Directors.
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- What do scholars and alumni
wear during the conference?
Business casual attire is appropriate for the majority of the summit.
This includes button down shirts, polo/golf shirts, and khakis/casual
pants. For young women, this also includes skirts and casual dresses of
an appropriate length. Jeans and shorts should not be worn at any
time during the summit. During the presentation, all scholars and
alumni need to wear black pants. After the days activities are over,
scholars and alumni are welcome to dress more comfortably. Comfortable
shoes are a must. Scholars will be doing lots of walking, so new shoes
or high heels are not recommended.
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- What is a typical day like at the
Summit?
Days start early, and include a variety of activities. Leadership
development and teambuilding sessions will be held, as well as sessions
dedicated to working on the report and presentation. Free time at night
is spent hanging out in the YLS suite, a hotel suite just for the
scholars and alumni. Lots of impromptu discussions about the
presentation are known to happen in the suite after hours. All scholars
are in their rooms no later than 11:30 - guaranteed they will be tired
and ready to sleep!
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For more information about the Youth Leadership Summit, please contact
Amilcar Guzman at 202-530-1135 ext. 108 or via e-mail at amilcar_guzman@edpartnerships.org.
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