Nation's Leaders to Address Young People from Around the World

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Youth Leadership Council®, a national nonprofit organization based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, will convene more than 1,400 youth and adults from across the United States and more than a dozen countries for MONUMENTAL, the 25th Annual National Service-Learning Conference® and 26th Global Youth Service Day.

The four day conference will feature keynote speeches from Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (ret.), U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, and Acting Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet, along with other youth and adult leaders.

Conference participants, roughly one-third of who are young people 23 years of age and younger, will participate in four days learning, inspiration and connection. "The National Service-Learning Conference is an opportunity for youth and adults to come together around the positive impact that youth are having in their communities and around the world while gaining academic, civic, and leadership skills," says National Youth Leadership Council CEO Kelita Bak. "We are elated that these leaders will be joining us as we celebrate and lift up the voices of young people from across the country and around the world."

The conference begins with a MONUMENTAL Capitol Hill Day where youth and adults share how they are addressing real challenges while also achieving success in school through service-learning, and importantly to give law makers a chance to engage in real conversation with young people themselves as true stakeholders on the issues we are facing today.

Over the past 25 years, the National Youth Leadership Council's service-learning conference has convened over 48,000 youth and adults.

The culminating event of MONUMENTAL, sponsored by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, is Saturday, April 12 where an estimated 1,000 volunteers will provide 3,000 hours of service to the community during a MONUMENTAL Day of Service: A Celebration of Global Youth Service Day. The service activities are provided by more than 20 national and local nonprofit organizations including The Ritz-Carlton Community Footprints, United Way Worldwide, Special Olympics, and D.C. Habitat for Humanity.  The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.nylc.org/conference.

About NYLC

At the National Youth Leadership Council, we strive for a world where all young people are valued and called on to lead. With passion, creativity, and ingenuity, young people can address world issues while strengthening academic and learning outcomes through service-learning. To that end, we provide programs and services that develop young leaders, support educators, and advance the field of service-learning. Visit www.nylc.org to learn more about NYLC and service-learning.

About The National Service-Learning Conference®

The National Service-Learning Conference brings together youth and adults from across the country and around the world for four days of learning, inspiration, and connection for those who view youth as solutions for stronger communities and schools. For more information, visit www.nylc.org/conference.

SOURCE National Youth Leadership Council