My son, who is in 5th grade and 10 years old, came home today with an exciting letter printed on thick card stock informing us that he has been nominated to attend the Junior National Young Leaders Conference this summer. He was absolutely thrilled, proudly sharing that only four students from his grade at school received this invitation.
The conference is organized by Envision EMI, a for-profit company, and while it sounds like an enriching week-long summer camp experience, the tuition cost of approximately $2,300 is quite substantial. This doesn’t include airfare to and from Washington DC, where the conference will be held, and we reside in South Texas.
I’ve done some research online and found mixed reviews – some praising the program while others labeling it as overpriced. Envision EMI boasts an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, but I also came across 47 complaints which raised some concerns.
Another major worry for us is the prospect of our 10-year-old traveling alone by air to another state, something he has never done before.
Does anyone here have more information about the Junior National Young Leaders Conference? What are your personal opinions or experiences with it? I tried searching on Reddit but couldn’t find any existing threads discussing this specific topic. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.