Hosted by NTLP, Calvin Terrell and the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College, our first-ever Diversity Day looks like it is going to be a huge success! Over 100 students from as far away as San Marino and as close as Los Angeles are eagerly anticipating a day of unity and diversity training. Each will come away with a greater understanding of themselves and their ability to collaborate for peace in a globally diverse community, and establish greater purposes to strive for excellence in all things.

Over 20 NTLP alumni staff and a host of community volunteers will also be on hand to help facilitate and coordinate the day. THERE IS STILL ROOM. We have at least 50 spots left so if you are interested in participating, go to this link (http://www.teenleader.org/?page_id=1427) and sign up NOW. The cost is ONLY $29 for the full day and includes lunch. We hope to see you there!

Are you an Alumni of NTLP? Have you graduated from high school? Then YOU are invited to attend our 3rd Annual Alumni retreat, happening all day, Sunday, February 28 in Orange County! Whether you have staffed an NTLP event, wanted to staff an event or just liked the program and want to connect with other alumni, this is the place to do it.

If you are an alumni of NTLP, then you know how awesome the staff are. Imagine spending a day mixing and mingling in their company! Past retreats have included fun workshops on group facilitating and goal setting, trying out new group sessions and collaborating with other post-high school graduates on the pleasures and perils of navigating the world of college and real-life experiences. More importantly, it is a great opportunity to reconnect with the wonderful alumni you met at the program, renew old friendships and reinvigorate those memorable feelings of an NTLP experience. The cost is only $5 to help cover lunch and refreshment expenses. Please join us! Simply fill out the contact form (http://www.teenleader.org/contact-us/ ) on our website to let us know you will attend. Directions and location will be emailed to all attendees. Don’t miss it!

In January of 2009, three on-line applications came in for students from Boston, MA. Little did we know that those applications would turn into an on-going dialog with the students’ Uncle, who then attended our Closing Ceremony at Sacramento State.  Based on his own impressions and the feedback provided by those same nephews, our generous benefactor then offered us a $25,000 Challenge grant to help us grow and expand the program.  In an email to NTLP’s director, he said:

…..is NTLP an organization that aspires to touch a handful of kids lucky enough to hear about NTLP and then make their way there once a year?

Or, is NTLP’s mission to help transform the lives of teenagers across our whole nation by developing their innate leadership capabilities to supply our nation with a new generation of leaders?

Clearly we wanted the latter, but never had the resources to even think about that kind of expansion.

NTLP had three months to raise $25,000.  February 28th, 2010 is the date set to reach that goal.

With a mere 9 days left, NTLP is within striking range – just a little over $1500 left to earn our Challenge Grant! After an amazing, initial kick off of $5000 from a parent, coincidentally, of another student from Massachusetts, the remaining $19,000 has been raised from over 200 motivated alumni, their friends and relatives. At this writing, donations are still coming in, pushing us ever closer to our goal.

If you would like to see NTLP achieve its dream of motivating our nation’s teenagers, please make a donation today.  You can donate here: (http://www.teenleader.org/?page_id=1555)

Thank you so very much for your support!

Our Challenge Grant, Diversity Day and Alumni Retreat during January and February over-shadowed the kick-off of NTLP’s summer programs, but we are happily taking in registrations and getting ready for the MAIN event.

This year we will be at the lovely, Chapman University, Orange County (southern California), July 9 – 11 and the prestigious, UC Davis, (northern California) July 23 – 25.  Over 30 students have already registered!  The website was just updated recently with most of our 2010 speakers, so please visit our website to check them out.  While you’re there, peruse the many links, watch the videos and enjoy the pictures in our image gallery.  Then sign up here: http://www.teenleader.org/students/register 

No payment is necessary unless you wish to confirm your attendance.  It will however, let us know of your interest so we can stay in touch with you between now and summer.

We hope to see you at NTLP 2010 this summer!

Sophia attended NTLP her junior year of high school in 1998 and again as a senior in 1999. Like so many, she had big dreams and even bigger stressors. Divorce in her family and the death of friend, shadowed her high school years, but Sophia says she was able to draw strength from the NTLP program and the many friends she made there. Then in September of 1999, that strength would be severely tested when Sophia discovered she would soon have a baby. Scared, but determined, Sophia applied and was accepted to staff at NTLP 2000. “Life happens” she was told by NTLP’s Director. “If attending the program will help you to be the very best mother you can be, I see no reason this should prevent you from attending.” Ten years have passed since that fateful year. Sophia has staffed NTLP programs every year and is even more involved as an active member of the Board of Directors. In addition, she volunteers her time to maintain the NTLP website and produce our on-line newsletters, such as this one.

Sophia earned her BA in Communications from the University of Laverne and went on to get her Masters in Education, with an emphasis in Math. In 2007 she became a ROP Graphic and Web Design instructor and in 2009 was hired by Monrovia High School to teach Math and Algebra. More importantly, Sophia is the proud mom of a little leader named Samantha who is 10 years old.

Sophia is another example of the fine young people who make up NTLP and we are very fortunate to have her as such a dedicated part of our organization. We are very proud of her and her accomplishments. If you would like to ask Sophia any questions about ROP, Graphic Design or teaching, or NTLP for that matter, you can do so here.