Bishop Noland Episcopal Day School sixth-grader attends national leadership conference

Published 3:10 pm Tuesday, July 29, 2025

For sixth-grader Layla Gaar, attending the 2025 Junior National Young Leaders Conference earlier this month was more than an academic opportunity. It was an unforgettable opportunity to meet new friends, explore history and continue a family tradition.

The Junior National Young Leadership Conference brings together fifth-graders and middle schoolers from across the country to develop leadership skills through interactive projects and dynamic workshops. The conference has been held by Envision by WorldStrides – immersive educational programs designed to help students explore potential careers and build leadership skills through hands-on experiences – for over 35 years.

This year, it was hosted at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts (just outside of Boston). Gaar, a student at Bishop Noland Episcopal Day School, joined over 200 students to participate in a “unique academic and career oriented development experience.”

Jan Sikorsky, vice president, Education for Envision, said in a release that the conference allows students from across the country to collaborate while they explore the professional world.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for ambitious young students to explore their interests outside the classroom and discover how to innovate and think creatively through hands-on immersive learning,” she said. “Our students are challenged with real-world simulations and problems, working together to develop solutions and projects to bring life to their studies and career interests.”

Gaar said the trip was “absolutely amazing.” Her favorite part was making new friends and visiting the historical sites in Massachusetts.

“I made so many friends and memories.  I was able to visit several historical sites, including the Old North Church, Salem, and Plymouth Rock. The conference was held at Bentley University, and it was beautiful,” she said.

She is no stranger to leadership. She served as secretary of the library club, and is a member of Team Green, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Student Council. She also plays tennis, acts in school productions and leads songs at church.

And her family is no stranger to the Junior National Young Leaders Conference. Layla’s older sister Lindsay attended the same conference last year and worked on a team that drafted a healthcare policy proposal to Congress.

Layla’s conference was centered around a Presidential election. She was the only student from Louisiana in her group, and was appointed “Chief of Staff” for the week.

Throughout the week, Layla developed leadership skills that taught her to work as a team with people of a different background, she said.

These skills will help her late in life when she enters her career as a speech therapist, she said.

“I can communicate with different people and help them achieve their goals.”

At the end of the conference, she was chosen to write a speech and present it at the conference. She wrote about her experience at the conference. Her speech encouraged and inspired her peers to “remember the wonderful memories made,” maintain the friendships and apply the leadership skills they gained in life and school, said Layla’s mom, Laura Gaar.