We unleash the leadership potential of Illinois youth.
We don't teach students what to think. We don't even teach students how to think. ILS is dedicated to stressing the importance of careful thought for both today's and tomorrow's leaders.
Our Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Like many of you, we at the Illinois Leadership Seminars have been monitoring the constant flow of information concerning the COVID-19 virus. The landscape seems to change by the minute as new inputs are being received from the World Health Organization, the CDC, Federal, State and local municipalities, school administrations and concerned parents.
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The Illinois Leadership Seminar Corporate Board and Seminar Planning Committee want to keep you informed on our decisions during the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic.
As we previously mentioned, the health and safety of our leaders, volunteers, staff, and alumni remains our paramount concern. With this in mind, we have made the decision to postpone our ILS Flagship Seminar planned for June 2020 until June 2021. This is not a decision that was taken lightly and we are assessing how to make the greatest impact for our 2020 and 2021 leaders.
We plan to stay strong in our mission through these uncharted times while also looking out for the safety of our alumni and future leaders of this country. We know that many of you are as disappointed as we are, but we are confident that this is the best and safest decision for everyone. The postponement of Seminar will give us even more time to make 2021 the best year for ILS yet! Now more than ever is the time to lean on your ILS family, stay engaged, and keep an eye out for more announcements. We will come out of this stronger together!
Thank you for your patience and support.
For more information on COVID-19 updates and guidelines, please visit the following sites:
https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus
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If you have further questions about how our organization is handling our events, please read our FAQ document linked below or reach out to our president, Hopper Oehler, using the contact button below.
About Us
Our annual leadership seminar is held at no cost to the students who participate and the schools that send their students, so we need your help to continue investing in these young leaders.
ILS has been providing quality, free leadership seminars in Illinois since 1977. We are a 100% volunteer organization with 501(c)3 nonprofit status. Through our programs, students interact with leaders in industry, government, the arts, education, and the media, coming in contact with a diverse world of leaders and leadership styles. Students are then challenged to discover and unleash their own leadership potential in their schools and communities, using the tools and resources made available to them at ILS. We at Illinois Leadership Seminars don't tell our participants what to think, or even how to think, but stress the importance of careful thought for our world's future leaders.
We have postponed accepting nominations for our 2020 Seminar.
Looking to nominate a student once nominations open again or need more information about the nomination process?
Thank you to our schools who already submitted their nomination for our 2020 Seminar before our announcement. We are excited to host your leader in 2021!
Nominated Schools
Argo Community High School
Ashton-Franklin Center High School
Batavia High School
Belleville West High School
Belvidere North High School
Benet Academy
Bremen High School
Brother Rice High School
Butler College Prep
Central High School
CICS Northtown Academy
Coal City High School
Collinsville High School
Deer Creek Mackinaw
Donovan Jr./Sr. High School
Downers Grove North High School
Durand High School
East Leyden High School
Eastland Jr./Sr. High School
Elgin High School
Foreman High School
Freeport High School
Galena High School
Galva Jr. Sr. High School
Gardner-South Wilmington High School
Genoa-Kingston High School
Granite City High School
Grant Community High School
Harlem High School
Hinckley-Big Rock High School
IC Catholic Prep
Intrinsic Schools
Jefferson High School
John Marshall Metropolitan High School
Johnsburg HIgh School
Knoxville High School
La Moille High School
Lakes Community High School
Lane Tech College Prep
Lebanon High School
Lemont High School
Lena-Winslow High School
Litchfield High School
Lycee Francais de Chicago
Mansueto High School
Marengo Community High School
Marian Central Catholic
McHenry East High School
McHenry West High School
Mendota Township High School
Milledgeville High School
Momence High School
Monmouth-Roseville High School
Morris Community High School
Mount Olive High School
Mt Zion High School
Niles North High School
Normal Community High School
Ogden International
Ombudsman Chicago West
Oregon High School
Paxton Buckley Loda High School
Pecatonica High School
Polo Community High School
Prairie Ridge High School
Regina Dominican High School
Rich East High School
Roosevelt High School
Round Lake Senior High School
Sacred Heart-Griffin High School
Shelbyville High School
St. Francis High School
St. Laurence High School
Stillman Valley High School
The High School of St Thomas More
Vernon Hills High School
Warren Township High School
Warsaw High School
Washington Community High School
Wauconda High School
West Leyden High School
William Howard Taft High School
Willowbrook High School
Wilmington High School
Winchester High School
Winnebago High School
Wolcott School
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
Zion Benton Township High School
Contact Illinois Leadership Seminars
805 Lake St. #184Â Oak Park IL United States 60301
(773) 550-5751
Affiliations:
Great Hearts Initiative, GreatNonProfits.com, Guidestar.com, Charitynavigator.com
National Society for Youth Leadership (NSYL)