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“Intense. Mind-blowing. Amazing people. Unforgettable. Life-changing. Brain fry. A moment of real growth. Nothing like it. My world of opportunities just expanded.”
The American LDZ - Where Global Networks and Friendships Are Forged
The American Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session (LDZ) will take place at Seton Hall University in New Orange, NJ. Unlike its sister LDZ programs, the American LDZ uses a federal system where a President and Vice President are elected. Located on the East Coast, expect to connect with an Eastern delegation as well as students from the Americas, like Panama, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and Mexico, are in attendance. A truly global delegation comes together at the American LDZ near picturesque waters and historic grounds.
What is the cost of the LDZ?Tuition for the LDZ covers eight days on a college in dorms, a full meal plan, private access to training areas, a college day exclusively for program participants, a staff-student ratio of one adult to every fifteen students, supplies and materials, a commemorative program T-Shirt, a certificate of participation, and a highly-motivating curriculum. The LDZ tuition is $1,220 (for American LDZ) USD plus a $25.00 application fee & a $150.00 non-refundable deposit. Upon official acceptance to the program, NHI requires this deposit to secure your spot until final tuition arrangements are made. Families manage tuition in various ways from setting up an approved payment plan, seeking out sponsors, easy online fundraising, or even qualify for special select community grants. NHI makes it a point to work with each family on their specific plans for tuition. Learn more about those options here. Students who complete the LDZ will be granted all the rights, privileges, and honors of NHI membership, so long as they remain in good standing and will hence be invited to future opportunities for personal development as well as volunteerism and faculty development within the organization. What does the payment schedule look like?NHI will provide details about the payment schedule upon acceptance into the program. NHI is committed to flexibility - that is, payment plans and fundraising tools are available to all families who request them. How do I get to the American LDZ?It is the responsibility of the student to make their personal travel arrangements to the program. For an additional fee, NHI will provide local private shuttle services for a on the first and last days to and from the Newark International Airport (EWR) or Newark Amtrak train station. You can learn more details on how to get to campus on Seton Hall's website. |
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2026 AMERICAN LDZ HOST: SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
| About Seton Hall University
One of the country's leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been developing students in mind, heart and spirit since 1856. Home to over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous majors, Seton Hall's academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. Seton Hall's 58-acre main campus is located in the quaint town of South Orange, New Jersey, only 14 miles from Manhattan.
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Mission Statement The Mission Statement was reaffirmed by the Seton Hall University Board of Trustees on May 24, 2023. |
IF ITS MEANT TO BE... IT'S UP TO ME.
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After successfully completing the program, LDZers often reflect on the experience as a space where they felt free to express themselves, their ideas, and honed their skills. They felt culturally embraced, understood, and valued. At the LDZ, they began to see themselves as playing a leadership role wherever life would take them, whether at home, in school, in a career, or in service to others. Most of all, they felt special in knowing that leadership is a life-long calling in which they will have a special role to play with NHI.
HISTORY OF THE LDZ
The LDZ was started in 1982 in Austin, Texas, as two-day experience at the Capitol. In 1983 the program expanded to work with a statewide audience and expanded to eight days. By 1990 the program was operating in three states and today is housed at six different locations. Despite thematic shifts and content adjustments, LDZ continues to engage students in a learning maze designed for the rigors of leading large organizations. The program, Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session, is named after the first provisional Vice President of the Republic of Texas and a leader for democracy and liberty in both Mexico and the United States. However, its name is also an homage to De Zavala Park in Houston where NHI's founder and president Ernesto Nieto watched and learned from his parents who were community park directors. Values, lessons, and the overall spirit of community life at De Zavala Park back then inspired the environment and culture of the LDZ summer experience. |
ARCHIVED LDZ SLIDESHOWS AND TESTIMONIALS |
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