Jim Skamarakas

Jean Ruhlen received a piece of marketing junk mail from the less then honorable organization hiding behind their not fot-profit status at the NYLF. The National Youth Leadership Forum as we know gets names not from educators as their materials and website indicate. Instead their primary source is because your son or daughter checked off a box on a standardized test that said “Yes, I would like to receive information from education institutions” in one form of wording or another.

Do you expect to get post cards or letters from Universities or colleges were your child meets or exceeds the minimum SAT or ACT scores? Yes. Schools about engineering or you checked off a box on the interests not graded section selecting arts, literature or music? No. The schools are smart enough to not waste money and energy on students not in their target demographics.

Why is Jean a smart parent? Because of this email showing she got this junk mail, and wanted to check to see if it is legitimate. Well Jean, yes I did investigate this organization, many times. Every time my child obtained a piece of junk mail from them, which was a lot for several events they run. All game in very large, full color, slick envelopes and flyers from the Surgeon General of the something or another or Doctor nobody or CEO James Jones or another. Big names written bold to impress. And all screaming over and over again how sending my child to the day care program for my pre-college child will make them money, I mean, make my child better.

Call them and ask how they got my name and information? You get the pitch. Ask for specifics and get a hem and a haw. Insist and get told you are on a mailing list obtained from The College Board.

Call The College Board every single time you get the junk mail, and get told that they know, they know. It is frustrating and they are trying to change the way they provide the material to educational institutions.

You need to be more proactive with any material from the National Youth Leadership Forum including

• Call them and ask how they got your names so you hear the lies for yourself
• Then insist on the exact details of who, how and when some educator released your information
• Then insist again, and get told it is from the real source
• Call the real source and let them know how you think they failed
• Make a post here or anywhere else and let people know that this outfit is not as it says it is

Do they run seminars? Yes. Do they run day car camps for teenagers? Yes. Do they charge parents money? Yes. Do they want your hard earned money? Hell yes. Should you give it to them? Hell no.

National Youth Leadership Forum
1919 Gallows Road, Suite 700
Vienna, VA 22182

I read your comment to the article on
2/8/2006 11:02:00 AM

FHS Student Nominated for leadership Forum
Seeks community’s help to get there
JANIS THORNTON

Have you investigated the National Youth Leadership Forum?  My child just got the same letter and is only a B student, leading me to believe that this must be a scam.  What more do you know about this organization?  Like you said, I only want to put my money where it will be best spent.

Thank you

Jean Ruhlen

Avenues Realty Group

1600 W. Bloomfield Road, Suite D

Bloomington, IN 47403

812-323-7300

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Categories: Education
Tags: business, customer service, Education, fraud, junk mail