State Leadership Seminars

About State Leadership Seminars

Our flagship program welcomes school and community nominated high school sophomores to 3–4-day seminars each spring and summer. These student ambassadors participate in facilitated dialogue and abilities-based workshops to develop awareness of their leadership strengths and an understanding of their leadership values. Through these dynamic activities with their peers, students hone their skills and learn to recognize, amplify, and collaborate with the diverse strengths of others. Held on college or university campuses, our programs give students a taste of college life while they dive into our engaging and FUN leadership development curriculum.

One weekend at a HOBY seminar unlocks a student’s leadership potential and helps them gain the confidence to make a positive impact on the world around them.

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Seminar Curriculum

The State Leadership Seminar curriculum guides student ambassadors as they explore leadership through a three-phase process: personal leadership, group leadership, and service leadership.

Personal Leadership

First, student ambassadors explore their personal leadership style. In this phase, student ambassadors unlock their potential through self-discovery and reflection.

After completing the personal leadership curriculum, student ambassadors will be able to:

Understand their leadership strengths and values
Have the confidence to speak up about their values and ideas
Identify a purpose that motivates them as a leader

Group Leadership

In the second phase, student ambassadors apply their newfound awareness to their interactions with others. Through this process of learning about others’ leadership abilities, identifying common goals, overcoming team obstacles, and developing an understanding of diverse perspectives, student ambassadors develop their group leadership skills.

After completing the group leadership curriculum, student ambassadors will be able to:

Believe others see them as a leader
Identify leadership strengths in others
Work with others to identify a common purpose
See the value in seeking out different perspectives
Work with others respectfully, even when they disagree

Service Leadership

HOBY student ambassadors apply their newfound understanding of personal and group leadership to serving others. In the service leadership phase, student ambassadors are challenged to make an impact on their local community. Here, they learn about the perspectives of community leaders and the value of making a positive difference within the place they call home.

After completing the service leadership curriculum, student ambassadors will be able to:

Acknowledge how their actions impact others
Take the steps to create positive change in their community

Leadership For Service

Student ambassadors truly put their service leadership learning into action after the seminar concludes. Each year, HOBY alumni and volunteers are challenged to complete 100 hours of service to their communities. These Leadership for Service (L4S) hours are a tangible way for our new alumni to apply their passion and newly built leadership skills toward making a positive impact. Over 5,000,000 service hours have been logged by HOBY alumni since 1998, and that number continues to grow with HOBY alumni logging thousands of hours of service each year. As a certifying organization for the Presidential Volunteer Service award, we honor hundreds of students each year as they complete their service challenge.

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Program Outcomes

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students who strongly agreed that as leaders, they can work with others to identify a common purpose increased by 84%.

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students who acknowledged how their actions impact others increased by 75%.

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students who strongly agreed that they have the confidence to speak up about their values increased by 102%.

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students strongly agreed that they know how to create positive change in their community increased by 148%.

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students strongly agreed that even when they disagree with someone, they can work with them respectfully increased by 64%.

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students strongly agreed that they try to include others by seeking different perspectives increased by 63%.

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students who can identify leadership strengths in others increased by 126%.

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students who strongly agreed that other people see them as leaders increased by 144%.

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students who strongly agreed that they feel confident in their ability to express their ideas increased by 128%.

Between our pre- and post-surveys, the percentage of students who strongly agreed that they can identify their own leadership strengths increased by 191%.