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Congratulations to Andrew Pittman, who attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security in Washington, D.C.,
“Imagine being 16 or 17 years old and the responsibility of securing the United States at home and abroad rests on your shoulders. Through specialized simulations, the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security strives to put students in the driver’s seat of building a strategy that will uphold our national security,” said Donna Snyder, Executive Director of NYLF. “The combination of interacting with professionals and with other students in this setting ensures that leaders are being developed so the future of our country will remain very bright.” The curriculum for the Forum on National Security is based on actual world events. Throughout the program, students use critical thinking, leadership, and public speaking skills to tackle the complexity of national decision-making as they examine how the U.S. plans for peace and prepares for crisis. They employ a crisis decision-making process similar to that employed by the nation's top policy makers. Students also participate in thought-provoking question and answer sessions with highly respected, internationally recognized civilian policy makers and senior military. In addition, leading institutions open their doors to NYLF/NS students, where they are educated in diplomacy, international affairs and military strategy. Past programs have included visits to several government institutions and military installations, such as the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Development Command at Quantico, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Naval Academy, a variety of embassies and many others.
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Founded in 1992, the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) is an educational organization established to help prepare extraordinary young people for their professional careers. Forums are offered in 11 cities across the United States in a wide variety of career fields,
such as national security, law and medicine. Over 50,000 young people have attended NYLF programs.
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Andrew at NYLF/NS: National Security and Foreign Affairs
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Dear Parent,
I am happy to report that Andrew has arrived at the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security (NYLF/NS): Exploring American Diplomacy, Intelligence and Defense and is already immersed in the Forum’s busy schedule. Over the next six days Andrew will be exposed to key leaders in the defense, intelligence and diplomatic communities, explore career options in these fields and develop his personal leadership skills. Andrew has been assigned to the Hallaren National Security Action Meeting (NSAM) group led by Colleen Fulp, his faculty advisor for the week.
In his group’s first meeting, Andrew engaged in icebreakers to become better acquainted with his fellow scholars. Andrew will work closely with his new colleagues and friends in his NSAM group for the duration of the Forum. Andrew also received an introduction to the Forum objectives and created a group code of conduct.
Throughout the week, I will be sending you additional e-mail updates, photos of Andrew and his fellow scholars at the Forum and information about other educational opportunities available to him. Please look for my e-mails and feel free to forward them to anyone you think would be interested in reading about Andrew at the Forum on National Security!
If you have any questions about the Forum, please contact me at (703) 584-9402.
Sincerely,
Donna J. Snyder, Ed.D.
Director of Education Programs
e-mail: ns_adm@nylf.org
web: www.nylf.org/ns
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National Youth Leadership Forum
1919 Gallows Road, Suite 700
Vienna, VA 22182
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(The following letter was received Wednesday, February 20, 2008) Dear Mr. Chandler,
Andrew began his day with an NSAM group session that introduced him to the National Security Strategy Exercise. This simulation will take place over the final two days of the Forum and will present Andrew with a fictional crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Preparations for this activity will occur throughout the week. In the remaining portion of the meeting, Andrew learned the basics of national security strategy and considered four vectors of analysis: basic national interests, intensity of those interests, instruments of national power and execution of a national strategy. Andrew also discussed the application of ends, ways and means in developing an effective strategy.
In the afternoon, Andrew took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Capitol building, the Library of Congress, the House and Senate office buildings and the Supreme Court. These locations provided him a physical backdrop for the matters of national security strategy he is discussing this week.
Back at the Forum hotel, Andrew attended one of three career exploration panels featuring leaders from the defense, intelligence and diplomatic communities.
To see a photo slideshow of Andrew at the Forum, visit http://www.nylf.org/ns/pictures/ . This link will be updated nightly for the remainder of the Forum.
I encourage you to forward these e-mails to anyone you think may be interested in reading about Andrew and his progress at the Forum on National Security.
If you have any questions about the Forum, please contact the Office of Admissions at (703) 584-9355.
Sincerely,
Donna J. Snyder, Ed.D.
Director of Education Programs (Thursday, February 21, 2008) Dear Mr. Chandler, Today, Andrew received an up-close and personal look at national security in action as he headed off to his site experience. The site experiences offered at the Forum on National Security allowed Andrew a chance to observe leaders in diplomatic institutions, military installations and intelligence agencies as they went about their daily tasks. This firsthand exposure provided Andrew valuable and practical information about careers and opportunities in these communities. After dinner, Andrew attended a Current Issue Seminar headed up by succeessful national security leaders to learn about and discuss key issues presently confronting the national security community. Please visit www.nyff.org/ns/pictures to see a photo slideshow of Andrew and the other scholars engaged in today's activities.
If you have any questions about the Forum on National Security, please contact the Office of Admissions at (703)584-9355.
Sincerely,
Donna J. Snyder, Ed.D
Director of Education Programs
(Friday, February 22, 2008)
Dear Mr. Chandler,
Andrew began to wrap up his Forum on National Security experience today, but not before he and his peers completed the National Security Strategy simulation with a presentation and discussion of his group's plan to resolve the crisis in the Congo. since each group has different objectives, Andrew had to master the arts of negotiation and compromise. The input of the various groups helped shape a policy ultimately approved by the president. Once the policy course had been chosen, the scholars used the knowledge they had gained over the week to prepare a strategy to execute the president's policy.
After the completion of the simulation, Andrew and his fellow scholars spent the remainder of the day exploring some of Washington, D.C.'s most famous sites, including Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian museums and the Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials.
Please visit www.nylf.org/ns/pictures to see a photo slideshow from this eventful day! While this is the final update you will receive, a slideshow of tomorrow's closing events will be available tomorrow night at the link above.
We have enjoyed working with Andrew at the Forum on National Security. When you see Andrew next, please ask him about his time at the Forum. I am certain that you will see in him a young leader who has gained maturity, depth of character and a deep understanding of the interrelated spheres of defense, intelligence and diplomacy. I thank you for your contributions to Andrew's adventure into the complex world of national security. I know he appreciates the role you play.
If you have any questions about the Forum on National Security, please contact the Office of Admissions at (703) 584-9355.
Sincerely,
Donna J. Snyder, Ed.D.
Director of Education Programs
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