Dana student selected for D.C. trip

Julie Joseph, a seventh grader at Dana Middle School, was in Washington, D.C. this week as one of only about 250 middle school students from across the country taking part in an extraordinary leadership conference called Themed Voices of Leadership: Reflecting on the Past to Create the Future.

Julie Joseph

The program sponsored by the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) introduces young people to the rich tradition of leadership throughout American history, while helping them to develop their own leadership skills. Julie was was nominated by her English teacher to attend it due to her “scholastic merit, maturity and strength of character.”

“The aim of the Junior National Young Leaders Conference is to inspire students to recognize their own leadership skills, measure their skills against those of current and former leaders and return home with new confidence in their ability to exercise positive influence within their communities,” said Marguerite Regan, Ph.D., Dean of Academic Affairs for the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC), the organization that sponsors JrNYLC. “Young people are not only welcome in Washington, D.C., they actually keep this city and our country running.”

During the six-day program, students took part in educational activities and presentations and explored relevant sites, such as Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.’s museums and memorials.

In addition to examining notable U.S. leaders and historic figures, students studied the impact of leadership throughout critical periods of American history including the Civil War and Reconstruction, World War II, the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement. Upon completion of JrNYLC, students will have gained a greater sense of the role of individuals in American democracy, as well as the responsibilities of being a leader. CYLC is a nonpartisan, educational organization. Since 1985, the Council has inspired more than 200,000 young people to achieve their full leadership potential. For additional information, visit us at www.cylc.org.