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. New HOBY alumni are challenged to complete 100 hours of service to their communities in the year following their seminar. 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

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%.
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%.

State Leadership Seminar Schedule

SeminarStart DateEnd DateVenueCityStateEvent Status
Alabama5/24/20245/26/2024Troy UniversityTroyALAccepting Nominations
AlaskaTBDTBDTBDTBDAKAccepting Nominations
Arizona6/13/20246/16/2024Arizona State University - West CampusPhoenixAZAccepting Nominations
Arkansas6/7/20246/9/2024Southern Arkansas UniversityMagnoliaARAccepting Nominations
California-Central6/20/20246/23/2024California Lutheran UniversityThousand OaksCAAccepting Nominations
California-Los Angeles6/21/20246/23/2024California State University Long BeachLong BeachCAAccepting Nominations
California-North6/28/20246/30/2024Cal MaritimeVallejoCAAccepting Nominations
California-South6/21/246/23/24University of San DiegoSan DiegoCAAccepting Nominations
Colorado6/20/20246/23/2024University of DenverDenverCOAccepting Nominations
Connecticut6/7/20246/9/2024Southern Connecticut State UniversityNew HavenCTAccepting Nominations
Delaware6/21/20246/23/2024University of DelawareNewarkDEAccepting Nominations
District of Columbia5/31/20246/2/2024Catholic University of AmericaWashingtonDCAccepting Nominations
Florida-East6/14/20246/16/2024Florida Tech UniversityMelbourneFLAccepting Nominations
Florida-North6/6/20246/9/2024Florida State UniversityTallahasseeFLAccepting Nominations
Florida-South5/24/20245/26/2024Lynn UniversityBoca RatonFLAccepting Nominations
Florida-West6/6/20246/9/2024Eckerd CollegeSt. PetersburgFLAccepting Nominations
Georgia6/7/20246/9/2024Middle Georgia State UniversityCochranGAAccepting Nominations
IdahoTBDTBDTBDTBDIDAccepting Nominations
Illinois-Central South6/13/20246/16/2024Illinois Wesleyan University BloomingtonILAccepting Nominations
Illinois-North6/7/20246/9/2024Loyola UniversityChicagoILAccepting Nominations
Indiana6/6/20246/9/2024Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteINAccepting Nominations
Iowa6/7/20246/9/2024Drake UniversityDes MoinesIAAccepting Nominations
Kansas5/30/20246/2/2024Kansas State UniversityManhattanKSAccepting Nominations
Kentucky6/6/20246/9/2024Berea CollegeBereaKYWaitlist Only
Louisiana6/21/20246/23/2024Southeastern Louisiana UniversityHammondLAAccepting Nominations
MaineTBDTBDTBDTBDMEAccepting Nominations
Maryland6/6/20246/9/2024Towson UniversityTowsonMDWaitlist Only
Massachusetts6/7/20246/9/2024Bentley UniversityWalthamMAWaitlist Only
Michigan6/7/20246/9/2024Albion CollegeAlbionMIAccepting Nominations
Minnesota6/14/20246/16/2024St. Cloud State UniversitySt. CloudMNAccepting Nominations
Mississippi5/31/20246/2/2024Mississippi CollegeClintonMSAccepting Nominations
Missouri6/7/20246/9/2024Webster UniversityWebster GrovesMOAccepting Nominations
Montana6/6/20246/9/2024Montana State UniversityBozemanMTAccepting Nominations
Nebraska6/7/20246/9/2024Northeast Community CollegeNorfolkNEAccepting Nominations
NevadaTBDTBDTBDTBDNVAccepting Nominations
New Hampshire5/31/20246/2/2024St. Anselm CollegeManchesterNHAccepting Nominations
New Jersey6/14/20246/16/2024Drew UniversityMadisonNJWaitlist Only
New MexicoTBDTBDTBDTBDNMAccepting Nominations
New York-Central6/14/20246/16/2024Hobart & William Smith CollegesGenevaNYWaitlist Only
New York-East5/31/20246/2/2024SUNY AlbanyAlbanyNYAccepting Nominations
New York-Metro6/7/20246/9/2024Adelphi UniversityGarden CityNYAccepting Nominations
North Carolina-East6/7/20246/9/2024NC State UniversityRaleighNCAccepting Nominations
North Carolina-West6/14/20246/16/2024UNC AshevilleAshevilleNCAccepting Nominations
North Dakota6/14/20246/16/2024Bismarck State CollegeBismarckNDAccepting Nominations
Ohio-North6/13/20246/16/2024John Carroll UniversityUniversity HeightsOHAccepting Nominations
Ohio-South6/6/20246/9/2024Marietta CollegeMariettaOHAccepting Nominations
Ohio-West6/6/20246/9/2024Ohio Northern UniversityAdaOHWaitlist Only
Oklahoma5/30/20246/2/2024Southwestern Oklahoma State UniversityWeatherfordOKAccepting Nominations
OregonTBDTBDTBDTBDORAccepting Nominations
Pennsylvania-Central5/30/20246/2/2024Millersville UniversityMillersvillePAAccepting Nominations
Pennsylvania-East6/14/20246/16/2024Neumann UniversityAstonPAAccepting Nominations
Pennsylvania-West6/14/20246/16/2024Washington & Jefferson CollegeWashingtonPAAccepting Nominations
Rhode Island6/14/20246/16/2024Bryant UniversitySmithfieldRIAccepting Nominations
South Carolina5/25/20245/27/2024Presbyterian CollegeClintonSCAccepting Nominations
South Dakota6/6/20246/9/2024Dakota State UniversityMadisonSDAccepting Nominations
Tennessee5/17/20245/19/2024UT SouthernPulaskiTNAccepting Nominations
Texas-Capital Area6/7/20246/9/2024University of TexasAustinTXAccepting Nominations
Texas-Far WestTBDTBDTBDTBDTXAccepting Nominations
Texas-Gulf Coast6/7/20246/9/2024University of Houston - Main CampusHoustonTXAccepting Nominations
Texas-North6/14/20246/16/2024University of North TexasDentonTXAccepting Nominations
Utah6/26/20246/29/2024Wasatch AcademyMt. PleasantUTAccepting Nominations
Vermont5/23/20245/26/2024Vermont State University - RandolphRandolph CenterVTAccepting Nominations
Virginia5/31/20246/2/2024James Madison UniversityHarrisonburgVAWaitlist Only
Washington6/13/20246/16/2024Whitworth UniversitySpokaneWAAccepting Nominations
West Virginia6/6/20246/9/2024Fairmont State UniversityFairmontWVAccepting Nominations
Wisconsin6/21/20246/23/2024Edgewood CollegeMadisonWIAccepting Nominations
Wyoming6/28/20246/30/2024Laramie County Community CollegeLaramieWYAccepting Nominations

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!