What is HOBY?HOBY \ ‘hobee \ n, adj (1958)1: Youth leadership development organization that “provides lifelong leadership development opportunities that empower individuals to achieve their highest potential.”
2: Of or relating to HOBY [a ~ Ambassador]
HOBY's mission is to inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation.
The HOBY StoryHOBY was founded by Hugh O’Brian in 1958 in response to Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s remark, “The most important thing in education is to teach young people to think for themselves.” HOBY seeks out, recognizes, and rewards leadership potential in high school sophomores by giving them the opportunity to build their leadership potential during a three or four day seminar. High school sophomores are chosen because their age is critical in focusing on future goals and forming opinions for adulthood. These students have the unique opportunity to create a “ripple effect” from their HOBY experience by utilizing the remaining time in their high school career to lead others and lay the foundation for a strong future. HOBY challenges students on not what to think, but how to think.
Today, over 375,000 proud alumni make HOBY stronger than ever. HOBY alumni are leaders in their schools and communities, throughout the United States and the world, making a difference for others through service.
Want to see the impact of HOBY firsthand? Get involved as a student, school, parent, alumna, volunteer or supporter.
Virginia held its first seminar in the spring of 1977 in Richmond, Virginia with 65 schools represented. Today, we have over 250 schools represented each year. In our 34 year history, VA HOBY has reached over 6,000 sophomores from throughout the Commonwealth, many who continue to give back to the organization today.
In 1985, volunteers with the VA Seminar established Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership – Virginia Leadership Seminar, Inc. (VA HOBY), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization governed by a Board of Directors of prominent business leaders, educators, former VA HOBY Ambassadors, and members of various cooperating organizations.
The VA HOBY Seminar continues to be a model for other leadership programs, being recognized annually as an Outstanding State Seminar, Outstanding Corporate Board, and Outstanding CLEW by HOBY International.
As an affiliate of HOBY International, the Virginia Leadership Seminar, Inc. provides the following programs around the commonwealth: · Annual Virginia Leadership Seminar · (CLEW) Community Leadership Education Workshops
Most student expenses are paid by donations received from cooperating organizations, businesses and corporations, individual donations and other foundations. The cost per Ambassador ranges from $175 for a partial sponsorship to $350 for a full sponsorship, which includes the activities at the seminar for the entire weekend including lodging and food.
HOBY is particularly concerned that the seminar not be an expense to the sophomores or their families, so that students from all economic and social backgrounds have an equal opportunity to attend.
Virginia HOBY actively seeks participation from cooperating organizations, businesses and corporations, individual donations and other foundations through Gifts-In-Kind, Direct Financial Support and Volunteer opportunities. Seminar Participant SelectionEach September, the National Association of Secondary School Principals sends nomination materials to all public and private high schools in the United States. Each school in Virginia is given the opportunity to nominate an outstanding sophomore based on his or her leadership potential. That sophomore represents his or her high school at the Virginia HOBY Leadership Seminar the following spring.
Leading and LearningAll discussions and presentations center around the theme “Leadership Through Service.” Activities, created to stimulate inherent potential, are centered around three perspectives of leadership: individual, group, and community and society. In addition, HOBY students, to whom we refer as “Ambassadors,” participate in interactive activities that enhance their HOBY experience. The seminar’s emphasis on service motivates the Ambassadors to make positive contributions to their schools and communities, thus making them more active, aware, and responsible citizens.
The Ripple Effect: HOBY VA Results
MissionTo inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation. VisionTo motivate and empower individuals to make a positive difference within our global society through understanding and action based on effective and compassionate leadership. Core ValuesVolunteerism - Volunteerism is the heart and soul of our organization. We appreciate the myriad contributions of our volunteers, and recognize the power of thank you and of giving back. We seek to promote and encourage service among our stakeholders. We recognize and value the positive accomplishments that volunteers can achieve by working together. We believe that volunteers are positively impacted by our programs as much as the youth and communities we serve. Integrity – Integrity forms the foundation of our organization. We demand the highest level of ethics. We grow our organization based on interactions that promote mutual trust and respect with our stakeholders and partners. We strive to ensure the highest level of organizational effectiveness by continually reviewing our programs and processes to improve quality and efficiency. Excellence – We strive to continually raise our programs and business to new levels of excellence. We encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in business, education, and social responsibility. We develop creative solutions to address challenges and to utilize opportunities. We believe that leadership skills can and should be continually improved and refined. Diversity – We value and embrace diversity. We seek out views that reflect all walks of life, and reflect those views in our programs. We are sensitive to the special needs and diverse backgrounds of individuals. We give all individuals an equal opportunity to be heard and to benefit from our programs. Community Partnership – We value community partnerships. We recognize the importance of working with community organizations to strengthen our supportive network. We value the input we receive from our community partners, and strive to work together cooperatively and constructively for the betterment of all.
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About HOBY
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