The National Leadership Conference is an 8-day conference for high school and college students, held in June at Miniwanca in Shelby, Michigan. Bringing hundreds of participants from across the nation, NLC offers a dynamic and diverse community that inspires people to discover and develop their personal best. Using time-tested curriculum relevant to today's young people, you will participate in large group and small group activities. These activities are specifically designed to provide you with an opportunity to both learn and practice leadership skills essential for any of life's vocations. Being that NLC is based on a four-year, progressive leadership curriculum, everyone coming to NLC for the first time will become a member of a "class," much like in school. Your class will be given an identity through a name and class colors. Each year you return to Miniwanca you will rejoin your classmates until graduation. The AYF brings an asset-based approach to its programming and that culture is very much present at NLC. You will only be asked to present your best self to those around you, and that best self will be universally and unquestionably accepted. AYF does not seek to define what "best" is for its participants; rather, we will provide you with ample opportunity to explore, discover, and develop what your best is and how you can share that with those around you and the wider world.