Getting Ready for HOBY

Once you are registered to attend a HOBY program, get ready for an amazing adventure.
You’re going to experience an enthusiastic learning environment like no other you’ve ever
seen before. You’re going to learn a lot; you’re going to laugh a lot; you’re going to meet
many dynamic and exciting people; and you’re going to make a lot of new friends
along the way.

But how much you get out of your HOBY experience depends entirely on you. We challenge
you to be open and willing to step outside the box and embrace the experience that’s being
offered to you. Here are some typical student questions and answers to help you prepare
for your HOBY experience.

1. When and where will the programs be held?

2. What is the cost to attend and how do I register?

3. What should I expect when I get there?

4. What are the accommodations like?

5. What if I am registered and cannot attend?

6. What happens after I register?

1. The South Dakota Youth Leadership Summit 2011 (aka HOBY Leadership Seminar 2011)
will be held on the campus of Dakota State University from June 9th - June 12th. The program
is 4 days long and you must be present for the entire seminar, including overnight (lodging is provided).

2. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from all HOBY events.
There is a nominal fee to register a student to attend our three- or four-day leadership seminar,
but the benefits the student receive far outweigh the cost to attend. Please contact our offices
for more information. For additional students attending, there may be an additional fee.
Each September, all high schools in the U.S. are invited to register sophomores to attend.
Ask your school counselor or principal what the selection process is for your school.

3. Attendees should expect:

• To be exposed to important ideas, including opinions that may differ from your own


• To interact one-on-one with decision makers in education, government, business and other professions


• To jump in and discover more about issues impacting you and your community


• To be challenged to be a person who succeeds in making a difference to improve your community


• To be challenged to commit to 100 hours of volunteer service in the next year to help
  make your community stronger, any way you believe you can


• To make new friends who are also committed to making a positive difference in this world


• To get less sleep than you’d like


• And to have more fun than you ever expected!

4. HOBY participants will be assigned to dorm rooms on floors reserved exclusively for HOBY.
A few weeks prior to the event, your planning committee will provide instructions on what you
need to bring. Participants of all HOBY programs will receive nutritious meals and have an
opportunity to inform us of any special dietary considerations prior to the event.

5. If circumstances arise that prevent you from attending the entire program you are
registered for, we would like to give another student from your school the opportunity
to attend. Please immediately go to the high school counselor or principal who registered
you and inform him/her of your situation. Please follow up without delay because a
cancellation fee may apply.

6. Once you have been registered for a HOBY program, you will receive more detailed
information about what to bring and what to expect. The planning committee will send this
information to you approximately 6 weeks before the event – the information may come via
US mail or via e-mail, so be sure to watch for it. Make sure to mark the program dates on
your calendar and get ready for a memorable experience!

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