Volunteers Make the Difference

• Do you enjoy working with highly motivated high school students? 
• Do you enjoy doing volunteer work? 
• Do you want to meet new people who have the same goals as you? 

If you answered “yes” to one (or all) of these questions, then you should consider getting involved in the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar program.

Today, over 240,000 students have participated in HOBY programs since its inception in 1958. Forty-three years later, HOBY continues to excel at fulfilling its mission to develop leadership skills and independent thinking among our outstanding high school students. Currently, 13,000 students representing over 60% of all secondary schools in the U.S. attend HOBY programs annually. This would not be possible without the generous gifts from our constituents and the dedication of more than 5,200 committed volunteers who donate over one million hours a year to our programs. This is the base of support that has sustained the organization for 43 years.

The common thread among our four seminar sites programs and alumni associations is strong adult participation.  None of these sites would be where they are today without the commitment, enthusiasm, time and energy donated to the program by the local adult volunteers. They all are part of coordinating the program and ensuring the ultimate success of the local seminars.

Becoming a part of the strong volunteer force in your local seminar site can bring personal reward for a job well done and knowing in just one weekend, you have made a difference in someone’s life, even if you only touch one single person.  Thinking of it another way, you just steered our future in a positive direction that they could not possibly imagine on their own.

Finally, being a part of a local committee also develops new friendships and even enhances the skills of its adult volunteers.  You meet new people who are striving for the same goal as you … developing the leadership skills and independent thinking among our outstanding high school students.

If you feel strongly about making a difference in young people's lives through volunteer service and responsible leadership, please contact the local Seminar Site in your area through our Contact Form.