Dear High School Counselors,

Planning for Michigan Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) Seminar 2010 is underway, and we're excited to share some updates with you! We hope that HOBY is already on your mind, but if you haven't selected this year's sophomores, there is still time.

We have made some changes this year to make HOBY even better:

• First, the 2010 Seminar will be held Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, May 14-16, 2010, at Central Michigan University, in Mount Pleasant, MI. This is a few weeks earlier than last year - we've made this change in an effort to avoid final exams, graduations, and major sports competitions that have prevented students from attending in the past. We appreciate your feedback and hope this new weekend will help your students be able to commit to attending while spring schedules are still a bit tentative.

• Second, we've revised a new curriculum we piloted last year. But don't worry - we're keeping all the good stuff that has made HOBY a premier youth leadership seminar in Michigan.

• Third, we're allowing each school to send up to two students to HOBY. We've made your job easier by eliminating the difficult decision of which one of your top two students to send. (You might consider sending one male and one female.) When you register online, you may register one primary and one additional student, plus one alternate student.
[Clarification: The registration fee for the primary student is $150, while the registration fee for an additional student is $325. If you have questions about this fee structure, please contact Aaron Vince: atvince@gmail.com. Updated 11-11-09.]

A number of schools have already registered, but it's not too late for you to register your own sophomores to represent your school at this year's HOBY seminar. Use the links below to access materials containing guidance for selecting and registering for HOBY.

• Sophomore Registration Kit [PDF]
• Student Registration Worksheet [PDF]
• Online Registration

All registrations will be done online at www.hoby.org by clicking on the "Register Online" button at the bottom of the page, or by using the Online Registration link above. I can provide you your School ID and Password if you do not have them.

Please take a moment with the student(s) you want to register to consult their calendars to avoid double-booking the HOBY weekend. We are excited for another great Seminar of supporting your students to defy his or her own personal boundaries and to develop new perspectives on familiar issues. If your students are looking to learn more about HOBY, direct them to our updated website: www.mihoby.org.

If you have questions about how to select or register a student or about the MI HOBY program, please contact Aaron Vince at atvince@gmail.com or 517-515-1012.