About the Youth Leadership and Diversity Conference

When: July 14th - 19th
Where: Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan
Cost: $300 per delegate

The Youth Leadership and Diversity Conference offers an opportunity for high school students to experience a leadership program that is truly unique. For one week during the summer, delegates gather on a college campus and become actively involved in a variety of exercises that will enhance their knowledge of who they are and where they fit into the complexities of an ever-changing society.

During both large and small discussion group sessions, delegates have an opportunity to share their views on a wide variety of topics that are of concern to today’s teens. The format is simple: since each of us comes from a slightly different background, our opinions will differ. That’s understandable. We must learn to listen to others, and we must also learn to argue our own point of view without personally attacking others for holding differing beliefs. Over the years, it has been proven that delegates do not change what they think or value. Instead, these sessions tend to solidify the values and opinions held by the delegates. For many, it is the first time that they have been given the opportunity to vocalize how they actually feel about the issues being discussed.

It is through the diversity of the delegation that this conference obtains its strength. We do not look at race, creed, color, sex, or ethnic background when selecting delegates. Rather, we truly embrace the differences that each delegate brings, because it is through those differences that delegates learn about themselves and others in this ever shrinking world of ours. It is those special and unique qualities that each delegate possesses that the conference capitalizes on to prove that every person is of special importance to the world as a whole. To be able to look at a person as a valuable asset to society means to look past the stereotypes that may otherwise blind us to the true worth of the individual.

Throughout the week, delegates are grouped and regrouped during a variety of exercises to demonstrate the value of teamwork. In today’s work force, the ability to function as a member of a team is more important that what a person may do or know individually. It is the belief of this conference that every delegate is a leader, and to become more effective and self-assured, certain qualities may need to be enhanced. Through the deliberate structuring of activities to promote teamwork, each delegate has the opportunity to demonstrate his or her individual skills within a safe and non-threatening environment.

There is no better place for the youth of today to experience a program designed to enrich their lives and develop their leadership capabilities than the Youth Leadership & Diversity Conference. It offers, in one short week, what the average individual might take a lifetime to experience.

Click here for application information and a map to Hillsdale College.