SFCS Juniors Attend National Youth Leadership Forum

SFCS juniors Thomas Spurgeon and Brian Van Dyke attended the 2010 National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security (NYLF/NS) in Washington, DC from Tuesday, February 23, to Sunday, February 28. The conference is attended by outstanding students from across the United States who were nominated by their teachers. Spurgeon and Van Dyke were nominated by Alvin Sell.

During the forum that is based on actual world events, the students explored American diplomacy, intelligence and defense during the intensive, six-day conference that blends hands-on experience with instruction in practical leadership skills. Specific activities included the exploration of ethics in national security – in particular regarding nuclear weapons, an actual simulation where the students took on rolls in a fictional, nuclear weapons crisis and the development of an effective response strategy and the attendance of seminars and discussions about key issues currently confronting our national security community.

Spurgeon and Van Dyke also toured the U.S. Capitol Building, Library of Congress, House and Senate offices, Supreme Court, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Washington, DC memorials and museums.

Founded in 1992, the National Youth Leadership Forum is an educational organization established to help prepare extraordinary young people for their professional careers. The result of this experience will no doubt enhance and nourish the leadership skills of these talented students.

--Article Date: March 8, 2010