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.
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.
Program Outcomes
State Leadership Seminar Schedule
Seminar | Start Date | End Date | Venue | City | State | Event Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 5/23/2025 | 5/25/2025 | Troy University | Troy | AL | Open |
Alaska | 4/3/2025 | 4/6/2025 | Anchorage | Anchorage | AK | Open |
Arizona | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | AZ | Open |
Arkansas | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | AR | Open |
California-Central | TBD | TBD | California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks | CA | Open |
California-Los Angeles | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | CA | Open |
California-North | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | CA | Open |
California-South | 6/20/2025 | 6/22/2025 | University of San Diego | San Diego | CA | Open |
Colorado | 6/19/2025 | 6/22/2025 | University of Denver | Denver | CO | Open |
Connecticut | 5/30/2025 | 6/1/2025 | Southern Connecticut State University | New Haven | CT | Open |
Delaware | 6/13/2025 | 6/15/2025 | University of Delaware | Newark | DE | Open |
District of Columbia | 5/29/2025 | 6/1/2025 | Catholic University of America | Washington | DC | Open |
Florida-East | 6/20/2025 | 6/22/2025 | Florida Tech | Melbourne | FL | Open |
Florida-North | 6/5/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Florida State University | Tallahassee | FL | Open |
Florida-South | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | FL | Open |
Florida-West | 6/5/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Eckerd College | St. Petersburg | FL | Open |
Georgia | 6/6/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Middle Georgia State University | Cochran | GA | Open |
Idaho | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | ID | Open |
Illinois-Central South | 6/19/2025 | 6/22/2025 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington | IL | Open |
Illinois-North | 6/27/2025 | 6/29/2025 | Loyola University | Chicago | IL | Open |
Indiana | 6/5/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Purdue University | West Lafayette | IN | Open |
Iowa | 6/6/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Drake University | Des Moines | IA | Open |
Kansas | 5/29/2025 | 6/1/2025 | Kansas State University | Manhattan | KS | Open |
Kentucky | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | KY | Open |
Louisiana | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | LA | Open |
Maine | 6/13/2025 | 6/15/2025 | University of Maine at Farmington | Farmington | ME | Open |
Maryland | 6/5/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Towson University | Towson | MD | Open |
Massachusetts | 6/6/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Bentley University | Waltham | MA | Open |
Michigan | 6/6/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Albion College | Albion | MI | Open |
Minnesota | 6/13/2025 | 6/15/2025 | St. Cloud State University | St. Cloud | MN | Open |
Mississippi | 5/30/2025 | 6/1/2025 | Mississippi College | Clinton | MS | Open |
Missouri | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | MO | Open |
Montana | TBD | TBD | TBD | Bozeman | MT | Open |
Nebraska | 5/30/2025 | 6/1/2025 | Central Community College - Hastings | Hastings | NE | Open |
Nevada | 6/27/2025 | 6/29/2025 | University of Nevada Las Vegas | Las Vegas | NV | Open |
New Hampshire | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | NH | Open |
New Jersey | 5/30/2025 | 6/1/2025 | Drew University | Madison | NJ | Open |
New Mexico | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | NM | Open |
New York-Central | 6/13/2025 | 6/15/2025 | Hobart & William Smith Colleges | Geneva | NY | Open |
New York-East | 6/6/2025 | 6/8/2025 | University at Albany | Albany | NY | Open |
New York-Metro | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | NY | Open |
North Carolina-East | 6/6/2025 | 6/8/2025 | NC State University | Raleigh | NC | Open |
North Carolina-West | 6/13/2025 | 6/15/2025 | UNC Asheville | Asheville | NC | Open |
North Dakota | TBD | TBD | Bismarck State College | Bismarck | ND | Open |
Ohio-North | 6/19/2025 | 6/22/2025 | John Carroll University | University Heights | OH | Open |
Ohio-South | 6/12/2025 | 6/15/2025 | Marietta College | Marietta | OH | Open |
Ohio-West | 6/5/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Ohio Northern University | Ada | OH | Open |
Oklahoma | 5/29/2025 | 6/1/2025 | Southwestern Oklahoma State University | Weatherford | OK | Open |
Oregon | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | OR | Open |
Pennsylvania-Central | 6/5/2025 | 6/8/2025 | Millersville University | Millersville | PA | Open |
Pennsylvania-East | 6/13/2025 | 6/15/2025 | Neumann University | Aston | PA | Open |
Pennsylvania-West | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | PA | Open |
Rhode Island | 6/20/2025 | 6/22/2025 | University of Rhode Island | Kingston | RI | Open |
South Carolina | 5/24/2025 | 5/26/2025 | TBD | TBD | SC | Open |
South Dakota | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | SD | Open |
Tennessee | 6/6/2025 | 6/8/2025 | UT Southern | Pulaski | TN | Open |
Texas-Capital Area | 6/6/2025 | 6/8/2025 | TBD | Austin | TX | Open |
Texas-Far West | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TX | Open |
Texas-Gulf Coast | TBD | TBD | University of Houston - Main Campus | Houston | TX | Open |
Texas-North | TBD | TBD | University of North Texas | Denton | TX | Open |
Utah | TBD | TBD | Wasatch Academy | Mt. Pleasant | UT | Open |
Vermont | 5/22/2025 | 5/25/2025 | Vermont State University - Randolph | Randolph Center | VT | Open |
Virginia | 5/30/2025 | 6/1/2025 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg | VA | Open |
Washington | 6/12/2025 | 6/15/2025 | TBD | TBD | WA | Open |
West Virginia | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | WV | Open |
Wisconsin | 6/20/2025 | 6/22/2025 | Edgewood College | Madison | WI | Open |
Wyoming | 6/20/2025 | 6/22/2025 | TBD | TBD | WY | Open |
Have Questions?
If you have any questions or would like more information about our State Leadership Seminars or any HOBY programs, please let us know. We look forward to connecting with you!