Envision EMI, LLC (Envision Experience) is a privately held, for-profit, tuition-based education company that creates, markets, and runs career exploration and leadership development programs for students in elementary school through college. The company manages twenty unique summer educational programs, including programs in Government and Leadership, Law, CSI, Medicine, Mass Media, Gaming and Technology, Engineering, National Security, Business Innovation, and Early STEM Exploration. Many of Envision's programs are held at university and college campuses. In addition, the company has collaborated with several national universities, including Stanford University for its Advanced Emergency Medicine, and Intensive Law & Trial programs, Rice University for the Rice University Aerospace & Aviation Academy, and George Mason University for its Game & Technology Academy.
The company is based in Vienna, Virginia and offers programs in a number of cities across the United States, as well as selected cities in China, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. In 2012, Envision EMI merged with LeadAmerica and rebranded itself as Envision Experience. The company's current officers are Duncan Young, CEO, Don Neff, CFO, Andrew Potter, CAO, and Lauren Freyfield, CMO
Envision's programs have been accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) an accrediting division of AdvancED.
History
Founding and purpose
The company was originally founded as the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC) in 1985 by Barbara Harris and Richard Rossi. Prior to founding CYLC, Harris worked as both a classroom teacher and as a school administrator, and Rossi worked as a congressional staffer. The two met when Harris arranged a trip for her students to attend the second Presidential Inauguration of Ronald Reagan. The stated purpose of the company was to "create unique experiences that create a lifetime advantage to high-achievers." , neither Harris nor Rossi were affiliated with the company.
Early history After seven years of exclusively operating as the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC), Harris and Rossi incorporated the National Youth Leadership Forum with the goal of helping prepare high school students for college and career success. The first such forum, held in 1992, was the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) on National Security. CYLC and NYLF both worked with National Capital Resources for curriculum development and delivery.
Growth of NYLF and CYLC In 1993, NYLF added the forum on Medicine. Two years later, they would add the forum on Law & CSI.
In 1998, National Capital Resources was renamed as Envision EMI, and one year later, CYLC held its first international program, the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC). By 2003, CYLC and NYLF had added the International Scholar Laureate Program for college-aged students and the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) for middle school students. As of 2006, the combined companies had over 200 staff members and annual revenues of over US$75 million, with over 47,000 students from fourth grade through college attended Envision programs around the world.
In 2007, Envision EMI acquired the assets of the Congressional Youth Leadership Conference and the National Youth Leadership Forum. According to the 2008 IRS filing for one of its subsidiary programs, the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, "all full-time staff working on the account of CYLC are employees of Envision EMI LLC." Envision EMI formerly operated some of its programs on behalf of non-profit entities that it had an exclusive marketing relationship with, including the Congressional Youth Leadership Council and the National Youth Leadership Forum, which Envision purchased in November 2007. Envision acquired the assets of the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, including its name and the rights to run all of the programs.
By 2009, the company was hosting more than 56,000 students in 273 conferences in the United States, China, and Australia focusing on career education and qualities of leadership. The week-long programs ranged from $1,440 to more than $3,060. Students were encouraged to raise money to help fund the trip. The programs are marketed as conferences that help scholars develop their leadership and educational skills. The company strives through its marketing efforts to reach students it describes as high-achievers.
Recent history
In October 2011, substantially all the assets of Envision EMI, LLC were acquired by Leadership Platform Acquisition Corporation (LPAC), an newly formed affiliate of Gryphon Investors, which describes itself as "a highly respected San Francisco based private equity firm with a strong commitment to the field of education."
In June 2012, the company hired John B. Richards, the former head of Starbucks' North American operations with a marketing background in the hospitality industry, as its new CEO. In August 2012, the company merged with LeadAmerica, a company that offered similar services. In August, 2013, the company rebranded itself as Envision Experience.
Programs worldwide
As of the summer of 2018, the company offered 17 different career, leadership, and technology programs at 35 different locations across the United States and world, including programs in China, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. Envision offers career exploration programs in the following fields: Medicine, Law, Engineering, Business, National Security, and Game Design. The company also offers high school and middle school leadership programs, as well as early STEM exploration for middle and elementary school students. Additionally, every four years, coinciding with the U.S. presidential inauguration, the conducts a Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit. Prior to the 2017 Summit, the company partnered with Discovery Education in a program through which high school students interviewed and reported on candidates for the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Previously, in 2009, Envision EMI hosted more than 56,000 students in 273 conferences, more students than attended the programs of the company's three closest competitors combined, and it planned to offer 310 conferences in 2010. Most of the programs were attended by 150 to 400 students.
Programs by grade level Envision programs are offered students as young as third grade and as old as rising college seniors, with middle and elementary school programs focusing on STEM exploration and leadership development and high school programs focusing more on career exploration.
Elementary school programs
National Youth Leadership Forum: Pathways to STEM A six-day program for students in grades 3 - 5 that introduces them STEM applications and leadership skills. Students also participate in an emergency medicine simulation that was created in collaboration with Dr. Paul Auerbach, a professor at Stanford Medicine. For the summer of 2019, the program will be held at over 18 locations across the United States.
Middle school programs
National Youth Leadership Forum: Explore STEM A six-day program for students in grade 6 - 8 that allows them to explore careers in Medicine, Engineering, Robotics, and Forensic Science. The theme of the program is "Mission to Mars." During the program, students hear from a former NASA astronaut. Previous speakers include Dr. Leroy Chiao, Nicole Stott, Dr. Mary Ellen Webber, and Dr. Don Thomas. For 2019, the program will be held at eleven location across the United States, including Emory University, Villanova University, and Wake Forest University.
Junior National Young Leaders Conference A six-day program for students in grade 5 - 8. Held in Washington, DC, students study leadership, visit historical monuments, and create their own service organization. Students also hear from NCAA wrestling champion and author Anthony Robles.
Global Young Leaders Conference
The Global Young Leaders Conference is an annual two-week meeting of young people from around the world who are viewed as future leaders. The aim of the conference is to develop appropriate leadership qualities in a global context.
The core program of the conference consists of three components ("three S"):
Speaker events: Here the participants get to know influential leaders from politics, business and NGOs. This usually takes the form of a presentation, panel discussion and subsequent question and answer session. Sightseeing: The participants visit government institutions, embassies and international organizations, but also cultural sights and educational institutions. Simulation: Within the entire core program, participants simulate the two most important organs of the United Nations, similar to MUN. In the first simulation, the UN Security Council has to work out a resolution on an international conflict, while in the final Global Summit all groups of countries come together and together as the UN General Assembly discuss a wide variety of resolutions on global problems that were previously worked out by various commissions.
During the rest of the time, topics are prepared and discussed in so-called Leadership Group Meetings (LGM). Most of the country group work takes place here. Each LGM group represents a particular country in the simulations and is each supervised by a Faculty Advisor (FA). The LGMs are also intended to introduce each other to the different cultures and origins of the scholars.
In addition to the core program, there is the option of enrolling for a pre-program as well as a so-called cultural add-on. While the pre-program is intended to prepare for the main program and bring the participants closer together, the cultural add-on is a relaxed follow-up program that consists of visiting the sights of the conference location.
High school programs
National Youth Leadership Forum: Medicine A nine-day program for students in grades 9 -11 who are interested in exploring careers in medicine. For 2019, the program will be held at nine college campuses, including the University of California - Berkeley, Emory University, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of California - Los Angeles.
National Youth Leadership Forum: Advanced Medicine & Health Care A ten-day program for students in grades 9 - 11, where students stay on the campus of Johns Hopkins University and participate in workshops and simulations that expose them to careers in medicine and health care, including a virtual reality surgery.
Advanced Emergency Medicine A ten-day program for students in grades 9 -12 who are interested in a career in emergency medicine. The program is held on the campus of Stanford University and conducted in collaboration with Stanford Medicine. Students who attend receive instruction from Stanford Medicine faculty.
Rice University Aerospace & Aviation Academy A twelve-day program for students in grades 9 -12 who are interested in a careers in Aerospace or Aviation. During the program, students who attend receive instruction from Rice University faculty and hear from experts in the aerospace and aviation fields, including former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao.
National Youth Leadership Forum: Business Innovation A six-day program for students in grades 9 - 12 who are interested in pursuing a career in business/entrepreneurship. Previously held on multiple campus locations, the 2019 program is held on the campus of Yale University.
National Youth Leadership Forum: National Security An 8-day program for students in grades 9-12 who are interested in careers in diplomacy, intelligence, or defense. During the program, students stay on the campus of Georgetown University and visit embassies and military sites in and around the Washington, DC area.