National Youth Leadership Council

What National Youth Leadership Council does

The National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, that develops and disseminates service-learning and youth leadership programming for the K-12 education sector. Its core technology is the proprietary K-12 Service-Learning Standards framework, a research-based system grounded in the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework that specifies critical elements of high-quality service-learning including meaningful service connected to community needs, curriculum integration, youth voice, structured reflection, and community partnerships. NYLC also develops specialized methodologies such as SLICE (Service-Learning in Civic Education), a three-year research initiative implemented in partnership with the Freudenberg Stiftung Foundation and the University of Minnesota across U.S. and German high schools.

NYLC delivers its offerings through a portfolio of interconnected programs: the annual National Service-Learning Conference (united with the Points of Light Conference for 2026), the Youth Leadership Summit, the Youth Council Connection Summit, professional development training and certificate programs for educators, the Youth as Solutions grant-funded team program, the Youth Advisory Council, and supporting resources including a podcast, resource library, and learning series. In 2025, the organization reported 241 trainings reaching 2,829 educators and 936 youth directly, with indirect reach to nearly 500,000 people and youth-voice initiatives reaching over 1 million.

Revenue is generated through four principal streams: conference and event registration fees (priced $450-$950 per attendee depending on tier and timing), professional development and certificate program fees, foundation grants (notably from Freudenberg Stiftung Foundation for SLICE), and individual/corporate donations structured across tiers from $25 to $1,500. The organization distributes through direct engagement with school districts (including customized partnerships with California districts for civic seal implementation), virtual training platforms, the annual conference, and international partnerships, serving K-12 educators, students in grades 6-12, school districts, afterschool program leaders, and youth councils.

Name

National Youth Leadership Council

Legal name

National Youth Leadership Council

Website

https://nylc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Youth Leadership Council is a 40-year-old Minnesota-based nonprofit that develops K-12 service-learning standards, educator training, and youth leadership programs, reaching thousands of educators and tens of thousands of students annually through conferences, training, and partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership and Service-Learning Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM), Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI)

Keywords

• Service-learning programs
• Youth leadership development
• Civic engagement training
• Educator professional development
• K-12 service-learning standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue from the annual National Service-Learning Conference registration fees, Youth Leadership Summit, and other events. Conference rates vary by membership status and attendee type (educator, corporate, youth, volunteer).
2. Professional Development and Training: Revenue from certificate programs and professional development services for educators, including certification programs for instructional excellence in service-learning.
3. Grants and Foundation Support: Funding from foundations including Freudenberg Stiftung Foundation for international partnerships and SLICE project implementation.
4. Donations: Individual and corporate donations supporting youth leadership programs, with various giving levels supporting specific initiatives like Youth Leadership Summit attendance, resource library access, Youth as Solutions teams, and educator certification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

NYLC is a nonprofit that delivers service-learning training, educator certification programs, youth leadership programs, and annual conferences for K-12 educators, school districts, and youth in grades 6-12. Its offerings include the K-12 Service-Learning Standards framework, the National Service-Learning Conference, Youth as Solutions, the Youth Advisory Council, and the SLICE international civic education research project.

Product overview

NYLC operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services centered on service-learning, youth leadership development, and civic engagement. The core offerings include the annual National Service-Learning Conference (SLC) which unites with the Points of Light Conference in 2026, the Youth Leadership Summit for students, and the Youth Council Connection Summit for youth council members. NYLC delivers professional development through service-learning trainings, the K-12 Service-Learning Standards framework, and Certificate Programs for educators. Key programs include SLICE (a three-year international democracy education research project with the Freudenberg Foundation), Youth as Solutions with mini-grants for youth-led community projects, and the Youth Advisory Council for intergenerational strategy development. Supporting offerings include the Power of Young People Podcast, the Uniting for Good Learning Series for virtual professional development, a Resource Library with tools for educators, and the National Service-Learning Awards. The organization reaches nearly 500,000 people annually through these interconnected programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Service-Learning Conference (SLC) The premier annual gathering for educators, students, and community leaders dedicated to service-learning, featuring workshops, lightning talks, student showcases, networking events, and a Day of Service. In 2026, it unites with the Points of Light Conference to create an intergenerational leadership event.
• Youth Leadership Summit A virtual, youth-led annual summit where students from across the country come together to build leadership skills, connect with peers, and explore how they can create meaningful change in their schools and communities.
• Youth Council Connection Summit

Quantifiable outcome

• 241 trainings conducted in 2025, reaching 2,829 educators and 936 youth
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Points of LightcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2025NYLC has partnered with Points of Light to unite the National Service-Learning Conference with the Points of Light Conference, creating a unified global platform for youth leaders and changemakers. This partnership integrates service-learning and volunteer engagement, with youth as co-creators shaping sessions and partnering with established leaders. The combined conference takes place June 22-25, 2026 in Washington, D.C.
• Freudenberg Stiftung FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2024Germany-based foundation partnering with NYLC on the SLICE (Service-Learning in Civic Education) project over three years. In Year 1, NYLC identifies two U.S. high schools; Year 2, Freudenberg Foundation selects two German high schools. The bi-national initiative facilitates cross-cultural dialogue on democracy education between educators and students from both countries.
• Stockton Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop customized plans supporting efforts to champion the California State Seal of Civic Engagement for high school students. NYLC provides training, curriculum planning, and ongoing guidance for service-learning implementation.
• Pajaro Valley Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop customized plans supporting efforts to champion the California State Seal of Civic Engagement for high school students.
• Antioch Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop customized plans supporting efforts to champion the California State Seal of Civic Engagement for high school students.
• Napa Valley Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop customized plans supporting efforts to champion the California State Seal of Civic Engagement for high school students.
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch team from University of Minnesota conducts interviews and focus groups as part of the SLICE project to capture educator and student experiences and document impact of service-learning on civic outcomes.
• InnerViewminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNYLC partners with InnerView to deliver virtual sessions and workshops on a platform designed to support and inspire youth, including Building and Sustaining Hope and Navigating Challenging Conversations.
• Youth Service America (YSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYLC partners with YSA to host the New Era of Youth Service in America: Minnesota Statewide Partner Forum, supporting YSA's Listening Tour to inform a new National Strategy aimed at doubling youth participation nationwide.
• Big Brothers Big SistersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership featured in NYLC's Building Powerful Youth-Adult Partnerships session, with BBBS staff presenting on youth mentorship and the National Youth Council.
• Centro Latinoamericano de Aprendizaje y Servicio Solidario (CLAYSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner from Argentina presenting on global service-learning perspectives in NYLC's What the World Can Teach Us About Service-Learning session, with 15+ years of experience promoting service-learning initiatives.
• Generation CitizenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured speaker organization in Understanding Young People's Political and Civic Engagement session, represented by Wilfred Chirinos, Policy & Advocacy Manager.
• Aspen Institute Center for Rising GenerationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured speaker organization in Understanding Young People's Political and Civic Engagement session, represented by Ezra Snell, policy fellow and Youth Advisory Council member.
• Made By UsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured speaker organization in youth civic engagement sessions, represented by Alex Edgar, Youth Engagement Manager, co-founder of Youth250 initiative.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DoSomething.org: DoSomething is a youth-led social impact nonprofit activating millions of young people in civic campaigns. It overlaps NYLC's youth leadership, youth voice, and community service missions, particularly for the high school demographic.
• Generation Citizen: Generation Citizen brings action civics to underserved high schools, directly overlapping NYLC's SLICE and K-12 service-learning work. Both train educators to deliver experiential civics and were co-featured by NYLC in civic engagement programming.
• iCivics: iCivics provides civics curricula and educator resources used across U.S. K-12 schools, overlapping NYLC's curriculum integration and educator PD focus. Both serve as national civic-education infrastructure for K-12 districts.
• Mikva Challenge: Mikva Challenge develops youth voice, civic engagement, and action civics programming across Chicago-area schools. It mirrors NYLC's Youth Advisory Council, civic seal support, and educator training at a regional level.
• Youth Service America (YSA): YSA is a direct nonprofit peer to NYLC, both mobilizing young people through service-learning and civic engagement. YSA runs Youth Service America Day, Semester of Service, and operates grant programs for youth-led projects, mirroring NYLC's Youth as Solutions and Youth Advisory Council offerings.
• Close Up Foundation: Close Up is a nonprofit providing civic education programs, teacher professional development, and youth leadership experiences in Washington D.C. and beyond, closely paralleling NYLC's conference, training, and civic engagement mission.

Emerging players

• City Year: City Year deploys young adult AmeriCorps members into schools to support student attendance and engagement. While focused on near-peer mentoring rather than service-learning, it is comparable as a youth-serving, school-embedded nonprofit.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: BBBS is a national youth mentorship nonprofit featured alongside NYLC in its Building Powerful Youth-Adult Partnerships programming. It overlaps NYLC's youth development mission, though its core product is 1:1 mentoring rather than service-learning.

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light: Points of Light is a large volunteerism and civic engagement nonprofit that is now NYLC's conference partner for 2026. It is a broad incumbent with a much larger portfolio, but the partnership signals convergence in the service/volunteer/civic learning space.
• Aspen Institute (Center for Rising Generations): The Aspen Institute's Center for Rising Generations works on youth civic engagement and policy, overlapping NYLC's youth voice and civic engagement work. It is a much broader think tank operating at a national policy level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nylcorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nylcweb
• Facebookfacebook.com/nylcorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-youth-leadership-council/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/nylcorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Youth Leadership Council