Frequently Asked Questions

ORGANIZATION & AFFILIATIONS

An educator-led initiative that began over 25 years ago, Envision EMI is a privately held, tuition-based, accredited educational organization of nearly 1,000 people that educates, motivates and inspires accomplished students through interactive, experiential and engaging programs that encourage high-achievers to reach higher and achieve more in their academic lives and future professional careers.

The organization began as the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC), a non-profit tuition-based educational organization, in 1985. This was followed in 1992 with the establishment of our second non-profit tuition-based educational organization, the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF). In 2007, both CYLC and NYLF were acquired and brought together in the privately held entity known as Envision EMI.

To date, Envision EMI has hosted over 600,000 high-achieving students in several thousand successful programs that have exposed scholars to experiences both in the United States and around the world.

Does Envision have any political affiliation?

No. Envision EMI and all of its programs are completely nonpartisan.

Back to Top

ELIGIBILITY AND NOMINATION

Who participates in Envision Programs?

While you will find our delegations incredibly diverse, the honor of being nominated to an Envision Program is reserved for participants who have strong academic records and leadership skills.

How are scholars nominated to attend?

Receiving a nomination to join any Envision EMI program is a reflection of a student having demonstrated academic excellence and/or leadership potential.

Our selection criteria requires every applicant to be nominated by an accredited educator (school counselor or teacher) or serve as a member in a national or international honor society. Beyond those directly nominated by educators and alumni, sources of nominees include the Golden Key Honour Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), the Education Research Center of America (ERCA), and the National Research Center for College and University Admissions (NRCCUA), among others.

Is there a way for a non-nominated scholar to be considered for nomination?

If you have not been nominated but believe you would benefit from attending one of our programs, and you meet the academic requirements or can provide an educator nomination, contact an enrollment advisor.

Is this program a valuable addition to a promising student's development?

Envision EMI's programs provide experiences that leave high-achieving elementary, middle school, high school and college students with an immediate advantage and a lifetime of success.

We believe this because of the foundation on which our programs are based:

• Every one of our programs is built around a core curriculum developed and implemented by certified educators.
• Every one of our staff members undergoes extensive training prior to engaging with students.
• We have a proven track record of over 600,000 satisfied scholars and thousands of successful programs.
• We are backed by and expose our scholars to a unique network of reputable government and industry leaders, with past speakers including General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), Former Secretary of State and Founder of America's Promise Alliance, Millard Fuller, Founding Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity and Steve Wozinak, Co-Founder, Apple Computer Inc.
• Our belief is supported by the experiences our programs deliver. Through dynamic, experiential and age-appropriate experiences beyond the classroom, we provide motivated students with critical skills that are absolutely essential to their success in school and in life. Using real-life simulations and interactive curricula, we provide students with a solid foundation of success skills to help them become the leaders of tomorrow. For 25 years, our programs have been designed, created and administered by professional educators with a single goal in mind: to inspire today's students to grow beyond their boundaries and reach their full potential.

Our programs promote critical skills for success in life and leadership through experiences that center on three student-learning outcomes:

1. Diverse educational settings that involve students in engaging and innovative activities designed to introduce and apply social and emotional competencies (e.g. self-awareness, emotional management, empathy, ability to form strong relationships) and character traits (e.g. honesty, integrity, gratitude, fairness, courage). In the past, these skills for success in life may have been viewed as a bonus to a child'­s education. Today, however, they form the foundation for effective leadership and are essential to a person'­s potential to achieve.
2. Opportunities for young people to take primary responsibility for developing creative approaches to complex, real-world problems. Our student-centered simulations and activities put participants in the "driver's seat," giving them a sense of ownership and independence as learners and problem solvers. Program faculty skillfully guide student learning, producing a level of responsibility that heightens students'­ self-esteem, self-confidence and motivation to pursue their own goals, interests and passions.
3. Exploring, developing and connecting the unique talents and interests of our students to future careers and real world problems. Through our program curricula centered on leadership, government, leaders throughout history, medicine, law, crime scene investigation, diplomacy, intelligence, national security and social action students are developing the 21st century worldviews, skills and behaviors that parents and educators know they need and that college admissions advisors and employers increasingly seek. By cultivating these skills and understandings, students learn how to succeed and lead in an era of rapid change, innovation and global integration.

Back to Top

TUITION AND FINANCES

What does the tuition cover?

Below is a list of general items covered by tuition. For details particular to the program you are interested in, please see the 'What'­s Included?' section on the specific program'­s web page.

• All scheduled Program activities using chartered motor coach transportation
• All accommodations (excluding laundry, telephone, etc.)
• Curriculum materials
• Meals provided vary by program and location (more can be found on the specific program'­s web page)
• Full-time, professional Faculty Advisors
• All educational components, including speaker fees
• All entrance fees for scheduled Program activities
• All taxes, gratuities and tips
• Basic emergency health coverage for the duration of the Program

Is financial assistance available to help pay for the tuition?

Should you require financial assistance, a special fundraising guide has been prepared to help interested scholars raise the necessary funds within their communities. We strongly encourage scholars to use this guide to fundraise and obtain sponsors to help them pay for the tuition costs associated with attending any Envision program.

About one-third of our scholars fundraise part or all of their tuition. Read through our fundraising guide and get started. You can also visit our Program Overview page, click through to the program you are planning to attend and follow the link to the Tuition & Financial Assistance page. In addition, the Office of Admissions is available to support scholars in their fundraising efforts.

Once I submit an application and tuition payment, what happens? Is a space guaranteed?

Once you have been invited to attend an Envision EMI program you should follow the guidelines below to ensure that you are enrolled in the program. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to apply early.

• You and your family should complete the personalized application located in the invitation, and return it along with full tuition payment to our Office of Admissions.
• Once your application and tuition are complete, we will review availability. Should your desired program be full, you will be placed on a waitlist and payment will not be processed.
• If you are accepted, we will send an acceptance letter within approximately four weeks.
• In addition, we will provide a detailed packet of information approximately four weeks prior to the start of the program.

Back to Top

SAFETY AND SUPERVISION

How are students supervised?

No matter which Envision program your child is a part of, you can be rest assured that they will be closely supervised 24 hours a day. Our staff includes the program director, faculty advisors, who serve as educational facilitators and chaperones, security personnel and operations personnel.

We carefully select only those faculty advisors and instructional support staff who specialize in supervising, teaching and mentoring scholars in the age range of the specific program. Many of them are credentialed teachers. Each one passes an intensive screening and training program. Similarly, the members of the scholar relations team are carefully screened and highly trained in scholars' needs and program logistics, ensuring a safe learning environment for all students.

While the student to staff ratio varies according to the needs of the particular age group, all Envision EMI programs aim for a ratio of 20-to-1 or better. Faculty advisors take attendance several times a day at every conference site.

Should your child'­s program involve an overnight stay, faculty advisors will also perform security checks every evening. Plus, hall monitors are employed to ensure that students remain in their rooms and to provide support for students who become ill or have an emergency at night.

What safety measures does Envision EMI follow to ensure participant safety?

At all Envision programs, safety and supervision are central themes. As a result, we have instituted the following policies among others to ensure that each student is always safe and secure:

• Should the scholar'­s program involve an overnight stay, we provide only single-sex dorm or hotel rooms.
• While the student to staff ratio varies according to the needs of the particular age group, all Envision EMI programs aim for a ratio of 20-to-1 or better.
• Students are supervised at all times.
• Our staff is comprised of highly trained and experienced faculty advisors and program support teams.
• In programs where older students do stay overnight, security officers or late night hall monitors are on duty each evening. And evening room/security checks occur each night.
• In situations where student travel is required during the program, all travel is by private motor coach and students never use public transportation.

Back to Top

OTHER QUESTIONS

More information about Envision EMI programs.

Occasionally, we are asked about the legitimacy of our programs and whether or not they are a "scam." The short response to this concern is no, Envision EMI programs are not a scam. In fact, Envision EMI has been offering programs for over 25 years. We have now mentored over 600,000 students in elementary school all the way through college. We take great pride in the fact that our nominating teachers refer new students to our programs year after year.

• More information about the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC).

Back to Top