Leadership Seminars
Each spring, about 130 high school sophomores from across Central New York join 10,000 high school sophomores from across the country in HOBY’s flagship program, the STATE LEADERSHIP SEMINAR (LS).
The LS allows high school sophomores to recognize their leadership talents and apply them in becoming effective, ethical leaders in their home, school, workplace and community. Students attend three- or four-day seminars and participate in hands-on leadership activities, meet leaders in Central New York, and explore their own personal leadership skills while learning how to make a positive impact in their community. The seminar curriculum is based on the Social Change Model of Leadership and develops leadership from three perspectives: Personal Leadership, Group Leadership, and Leadership for Society.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS (CLEW)
The COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP (CLEW) is HOBY’s introductory one-day program for high school freshmen. A typical CLeW is six to ten hours long, with 50-100 freshmen participants, and focuses on leadership as a discipline to be explored and learned.
HOBY CLeW students interact with local community leaders, participate in group activities, and conduct community service projects. CLeWs are organized, developed, and implemented by local business leaders, civic groups, volunteers, and HOBY alumni.
WORLD LEADERSHIP CONGRESS
Since 1968, HOBY’s WORLD LEADERSHIP CONGRESS (WLC) has been bringing students together from across the globe to discover their potential as leaders. Upon completing a Leadership Seminar, U.S. high school rising juniors have the opportunity to advance to HOBY’s next level of leadership programs. The WLC is open to international students ages 15 to 17.
Each year, over 400 students representing up to 20 countries attend this unique week-long international program comprised of keynote presentations, speakers’ panels, interactive workshops, field trips, and community service projects.
The curriculum is based on the Social Change Model of Leadership and develops leadership from four perspectives: Personal Leadership, Group Leadership, Leadership for Society, and Global Leadership.
Students emerge from the WLC as more mature individuals, cognizant of the world around them, and ready to make meaningful contributions to society.
HOBY’s World Leadership Congress is designed to allow discovery of personal students own leadership potential while becoming a responsible and responsive global citizen.
ADVANCED LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (ALA)
HOBY's college-prep program, the ADVANCED LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (ALA) is open to all high school juniors and seniors ages 16 to 18 and empowers high school juniors and seniors to become change leaders in their communities. The ALA is a five day practical and experiential program where participants deeply examine their own leadership capabilities. The curriculum is based on the social change model of leadership.
Student participants (called Project Managers) learn to leverage their personal leadership talents, hone their project management skills, and address social issues. Students learn how to use their abilities to organize and lead a service or social entrepreneurship project to address societal issues and create meaningful change. Participants meet other successful youth who have led service projects and started nonprofits and businesses.
The ALA helps address the question “What can I do to change the world?” and allows students to answer the call with their very own action plan for a service project or social enterprise to create social change, all while earning transferable college credit from George Mason University. They leave the Academy with a fully-developed action plan to implement in their home communities.
INTERNATIONAL TOURS PROGRAM
HOBY’s global community of youth and volunteers are making a difference around the world.
Today, HOBY programs are empowering young people to be a positive force in their communities in Canada, China, Iraq, South Korea, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
To learn about and experience other cultures, the INTERNATIONAL TOURS PROGRAM takes high school and college students from across the country on an eight or nine day tour to some of the world’s most exciting and historic destinations. This program, operated by HOBY staff and HOBY trained chaperones, includes guided tours by professional tour directors, practical travel lessons, international service experience, and foreign language introduction. HOBY Alumni, siblings, and friends are invited to participate in this program