Youth Leadership Camp
Encyclopedia
The Youth Leadership Camp (YLC) is an annual four-week leadership
program for deaf high school
students which has been operating in the United States
as a non-profit organization
since the late 1960s.
Youth Leadership Camp activities are conducted in American Sign Language
. YLC programs stress personal responsibility
and accountability
, organizational skills
, team building
, higher education
and employment
in its mission of scholarship
, leadership
and citizenship
among deaf youth.
The YLC is accredited
by the American Camp Association
and is associated with the Lions Club
in the states of Oregon
and Washington.
Youth Leadership Camp applicants are evaluated in terms of academic standing, character
, leadership potential, and involvement in school and community. Applicants must submit an essay
and letters of recommendation
in a process similar to selective college admission
procedures.
YLC Locations
Sponsors
Sponsors of deaf youth leadership programs such as the YLC include:
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
program for deaf high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students which has been operating in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
since the late 1960s.
Youth Leadership Camp activities are conducted in American Sign Language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
. YLC programs stress personal responsibility
Moral responsibility
Moral responsibility usually refers to the idea that a person has moral obligations in certain situations. Disobeying moral obligations, then, becomes grounds for justified punishment. Deciding what justifies punishment, if anything, is a principle concern of ethics.People who have moral...
and accountability
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
, organizational skills
Organizational structure
An organizational structure consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organizational aims. It can also be considered as the viewing glass or perspective through which individuals see their organization and its...
, team building
Team building
Team building refers to a wide range of activities, presented to businesses, schools, sports teams, religious or nonprofit organizations designed for improving team performance...
, higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
and employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
in its mission of scholarship
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
and citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
among deaf youth.
The YLC is accredited
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
by the American Camp Association
American Camp Association
The American Camp Association , formerly known as the American Camping Association, is a 501 nonprofit that serves the United States. It is an association for camp owners, camp professionals and others interested in summer camps and similar camp programs.ACA runs an accreditation criterion for camps...
and is associated with the Lions Club
Lions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International is a secular service organization with over 44,500 clubs and more than 1,368,683 members in 191 countries around the world founded by Melvin Jones Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, the organization aims to meet the needs of communities on a local and...
in the states of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and Washington.
Youth Leadership Camp applicants are evaluated in terms of academic standing, character
Moral character
Moral character or character is an evaluation of a particular individual's durable moral qualities. The concept of character can imply a variety of attributes including the existence or lack of virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty, or of good behaviors or habits...
, leadership potential, and involvement in school and community. Applicants must submit an essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
and letters of recommendation
Recommendation letter
A letter of recommendation is a letter in which the writer assesses the qualities, characteristics, and capabilities of the person being recommended in terms of that individual’s ability to perform a particular task or function. Recommendation letters are almost always specifically requested to be...
in a process similar to selective college admission
College admissions in the United States
College admissions in the United States refers to the annual process of applying to institutions of higher education in the United States for undergraduate study. This usually takes place during the senior year of high school...
procedures.
YLC Locations
- 1969: Pine Lake Camp in Stroudsburg, PennsylvaniaStroudsburg, PennsylvaniaStroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state, approximately five miles from the Delaware Water Gap, at the confluence of the Brodhead and Pocono Creeks. It is the county seat of Monroe County. Stroudsburg is part of the...
in The PoconosThe PoconosThe Pocono Mountains is a region located in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. The Poconos, located chiefly in Monroe and Pike counties , are an upland of the larger Allegheny Plateau... - 1970-1989: Swan Lake Lodge in Pengilly, MinnesotaSwan River (northern Minnesota)The Swan River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 60 mi long, in northeastern Minnesota in the United States.It rises in Swan Lake, in southeast Itasca County, near Pengilly, approximately 13 mi southwest of Hibbing. It flows southwest, east of Trout Lake, then SSE past Warba...
- 1990-2002: Camp Taloali in Stayton, Oregon
- 2003: Camp Lakodia in Madison, South DakotaMadison, South DakotaMadison is a city in Lake County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,474 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lake County and is home to Dakota State University.-Geography:Madison is located at ....
- 2004: Sertoma Camp Endeavor in Dundee, FloridaDundee, FloridaDundee is a town in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,912 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,008...
near Winter HavenWinter Haven, FloridaWinter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County... - 2005–present: Camp Taloali in Stayton, OregonStayton, OregonStayton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, located southeast of the state capital, Salem, on Oregon Route 22. It is south of Sublimity and east of Aumsville. Located on the North Santiam River, Stayton is a regional agricultural and light manufacturing center. The population was...
Sponsors
Sponsors of deaf youth leadership programs such as the YLC include:
- California State University, NorthridgeCalifornia State University, NorthridgeCalifornia State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
and its National Center on Deafness - Communication Service for the Deaf
- Gallaudet UniversityGallaudet UniversityGallaudet University is a federally-chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, located in the District of Columbia, U.S...
and its Laurent ClercLaurent ClercLaurent Clerc , born Louis Laurent Marie Clerc, was called "The Apostle of the deaf in America" by generations of American deaf people...
National Deaf Education Center - Minnesota State Academy for the DeafMinnesota State Academy for the DeafThe Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf is a public residential school serving deaf children in Minnesota. It is one of two Minnesota State Academies in Faribault and operated by the state for particular student populations.-History:...
- National Association of the Deaf (United States)National Association of the Deaf (United States)The National Association of the Deaf was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1880 as a non-profit organization run by deaf people to advocate for deaf rights. The first president of the organization was Robert P. McGregor of Ohio. It includes associations from all 50 states and Washington, DC...
- Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester Institute of TechnologyThe Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
and its National Technical Institute for the DeafNational Technical Institute for the DeafThe National Technical Institute for the Deaf is the first and largest technological college in the world for students who are deaf or hard of hearing...
External links
- Camp Taloali website.
- Illinois Association of the Deaf on "what's so special about NAD YLC." Quotes:
- "YLC has graduated over 2,000 alumni. Many NAD YLC alumni have become leaders and advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing community."
- DeafNation road trip by two former YLC campers included a visit to YLC. Quotes:
- "The Youth Leadership Camp has been a staple in developing the Deaf youth of America. Almost anyone in the Deaf community could name someone who has gone to the camp."
- Discussion of costs and merits of YLC and other deaf youth leadership camps on the i711.com Video Relay ServiceVideo Relay ServiceA Video Relay Service , also sometimes known as a Video Interpreting Service, is a videotelecommunication service that allows deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired individuals to communicate over video telephones and similar technologies with hearing people in real-time, via a sign language...
website.
- Discussion of costs and merits of YLC and other deaf youth leadership camps on the i711.com Video Relay Service