Ohio-West Virginia Youth Leadership Association

Local yla (Youth Leadership Association) Youth groups engage teens in a process of civic Leadership development through service. Teens assess the strengths and area of need in their school and community, indentify the kind of school and community they want, create and carry out programs and service intiatives to acheive their vision, and reflect on their work to strengthen future action.most ylas are school based. Others are community based. Yla welcoms participation from every community. Other Youth groups may join yla to expand their program while keeping their own name and organization. Youth wanting their own Youth group create yla groups.a local yla experience is enhanced as teens participate away from home in state and regional yla program conferences, Youth in governement three-day student legislative and supreme court, Youth and government seminars at the state capitol, and model united nations assemblies.these experiences help teens apply classroom lessons of research, writing, public speaking, parliamentary procedure, debate, consensus building, making decisions, and working with others to state issues in Youth in government and international issues in model united nations.

Cave lake in Ohio offers 750 acres of nature's classroom. Currently we offer family camping. As facililties and programs are developed into the cave lake center for community Leadership we will offer educational, environmental, Leadership, civic, arts and other programming.yla broke ground in 2016 for the first phase of the cave lake center for community Leadership conference center. Ohio budget allocation through straight a funding is funding the project along with yla fund raising.

Horseshoe, our residental camp in west Virginia, offers teen entrepreneurship and leadership-service camps designed to engage, challenge, prepare, and motivate Youth to return home more focused on achievement and helping others. Horseshoe's programs for 7-12 year old boys and girls include Youth opportunity camps for low income children.the Youth of every community are welcome. There are no membership requirments to participate.horseshoe also offers heritage arts programs for adults and hosts camps conducted by schools, colleges, and others.adjoining horseshoe is the horseshoe recreation area offering tent and camper sites for individuals and families to enjoy camping in the monongahela national forest.