Anyone familiar with NYLF Pathways to STEM program?

[Anonymous]

Our 8th grader D was nominated by one of her teachers to attend a National Youth Leadership Forum: Explore STEM program this summer at UMD. I'm curious if anyone has any experience or familiarity with the program? It looks like it's associated with Envision by WorldStrides, Vienna, VA. I'm cautiously excited for her but I know for sure we can't afford to pay for $3,400 for a week onsite to attend the program. They have a guide for students to solicit funds to help pay the tuition costs. Is it worth it to pursue? I haven't told her yet that she was nominated because I don't want to get her hopes up. She is a straight A honor role student at a "difficult" FCPS MS for what it's worth.

[Anonymous]

My son attended a few years ago before Covid when he was 11. It was a great first time overnight experience for him.

I don’t think it is prestigious although we were glad that he was nominated for it. He is a STEM loving kid.

Just think of it like any other camp - art, tennis or STEM. I have a non stem kid who wants to attend an overnight camp where he will be doing archery and hanging outside. It is similar in cost.

[Anonymous]

My son did it and will do another one this summer. He really loved the experience and it was great to do a fun, academic camp--he had only ever done sports camps.

From what I have observed, the truly prestigious camps are low cost, so while I think this camp was great and full of bright kids, I don't think it's a resume builder. However, he felt honored to have been nominated and really loved the experience.

[Anonymous]

OP here... thanks for your input. I am appreciative that she was nominated but we will most likely pass as it is too expensive for us.

[Anonymous]

I don’t want to burst your bubble. I worked for Envision years ago- before they were reported to the BBB for terrible business practices. I believe the founders sold it. They are for-profit. Anyone can be nominated but marketing team does a great job at making it seem special. The programs were good and had potential but the execution and staff fall flat for the amount of money families invest. They tend to target less affluent areas where students don’t always get noticed for academic opportunities. Then they present it in a formal package using buzz words like “nominated’ and “leadership”. Honestly, be proud of your daughter and use this to research other opportunities like the JHU program together.

[Anonymous]

My son was nominated last year, but did not attend. We were allowed to roll his tuition over to this summer. Plus an extra $1000 because he moved to up to the middle school bracket. He called us the second night complaining about other preteen boys making sexual advances and trying to enter his shower stall. He was warned to not drop the soap. He complained to staff who laughed him off. After I found out, I called. It stopped, but his experience was already screwed up. He called us to pick him up a day early. I wish I'd read other reviews before dropping the $1k upcharge. We would have lost the original money and I hate to think what he would have gone through last summer.

[Anonymous]

Don’t send your sons. The entire program focused on debasing white males. They target female students. The ration was 450 females across 3 programs to 50 males. There is an investigation underway, to my understanding, because of a sexual assault in a same sex room. My child was asked to move out of the frame of a picture so the female students could be photographed. My son learned about navigating society, that is what I paid for when it come time on this camp. Don’t do “pay to play” camps. Find an internship, apply for a camp. Stay very very far away from Envision.

[Anonymous]

Not going lie, the bullshit meter when off hard with this invite but there lot of anonymous claims.. Sexual harassment? Investigation? By whom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here... thanks for your input. I am appreciative that she was nominated but we will most likely pass as it is too expensive for us.

Could you maybe do a Go-Fund-Me for this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t send your sons. The entire program focused on debasing white males. They target female students. The ration was 450 females across 3 programs to 50 males. There is an investigation underway, to my understanding, because of a sexual assault in a same sex room. My child was asked to move out of the frame of a picture so the female students could be photographed. My son learned about navigating society, that is what I paid for when it come time on this camp. Don’t do “pay to play” camps. Find an internship, apply for a camp. Stay very very far away from Envision.

It’s worse than described.

UMD should be ashamed of hosting this scam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t send your sons. The entire program focused on debasing white males. They target female students. The ration was 450 females across 3 programs to 50 males. There is an investigation underway, to my understanding, because of a sexual assault in a same sex room. My child was asked to move out of the frame of a picture so the female students could be photographed. My son learned about navigating society, that is what I paid for when it come time on this camp. Don’t do “pay to play” camps. Find an internship, apply for a camp. Stay very very far away from Envision.

It’s worse than described.

UMD should be ashamed of hosting this scam.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/co..._away_from_envision/