On Friday, May 30th - 53 slightly nervous and uncertain High School sophomores from across the state of Maine from Fort Kent to Elliot arrived at the Olsen Student Center on the University of Maine Farmington's campus.

For three days these outstanding young leaders worked together with a team of dedicated volunteers to explore leadership and service and learned that they have true potential to make a positive impact on their communities.  Each student actively engaged in learning activities to understand how their values shape who they are as a leader and how understanding their leadership style as well as the styles of others can make them better team members.  Team challenges put their learning to the test!  

Our ambassadors had the opportunity to listen to and interact with several amazing guest speakers throughout the weekend including Attorney General Janet Mills, Rep. Justin Chenette, Jamie Marcus - Director of Admissions UMF, Laura Moorehead - Institute for Civic Leadership, Jeffrey Jordan - MidCoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, Will Nelligan - Analyst at Archer Gray, LLC., Nate Kane - MYAN and Staci Olsen - Girls on the Run.

Brooke DePuy, one of our 2014 alumni shared this about her experience:
"It is a simply life changing experience. All of the ambassadors are there for the same reason that you are, which is a great feeling. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity that no one should pass up! You learn so much about yourself, how to be a leader, and how you can create a ripple effect that could change the world. Everything that goes on at HOBY is so inspiring and it encourages you to really be the best that you can. In the midst of all that, the HOBY experience is also a blast! And you meet so many great people."


Thank you to all our sponsors and dedicated volunteers who made this weekend possible!

We would like to thank Unitil Corporation for their support of the 2014 HOBY Maine Seminar as a Gold Meal Sponsor with their donation of $75.  

Unitil is committed to the communities they serve and to developing people, business practices, and technologies that lead to dependable, more efficient energy. Unitil Corporation is a public utility holding company with operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For more information about Unitil, please visit www.unitil.com.

For the second year in a row, A Little Mad Island Shop and Gallery in Bar Harbor, ME is supporting HOBY Maine with a $200 donation.  Thank you to Patrick, Jolene and Jeffrey for your generous support! 

If you are in Bar Harbor this summer make sure you stop in and check out their amazing shop located in the Bayside Landing Courtyard off of Cottage Street!  Or check out their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/alittlemadshop).

A big shout out to Walmart #2047 in Palmyra, ME for supporting HOBY Maine 2014 with a $400 donation through their community grant program.  

"Walmart believes in operating globally and giving back locally – creating impact in the neighborhoods where we live and work. Through the Community Grant Program, our associates are proud to support the needs of their communities by providing grants to local organizations."


We are grateful for their generous support of our program!

Allen Signs with Impact of Scarborough, Maine became our newest Ambassador Sponsor with their generous donation of $250!  

Allen specializes in durable indoor and outdoor signage and POP displays custom engineered for maximum visual impact. 

We are extremely grateful for their support and encourage you to contact them for all your signage needs - they do really beautiful work!  

Many thanks once again to Hannaford Supermarkets, one of our Community Sponsors for 2014.  Hannaford been a Community Sponsor for HOBY Maine since 2010.  

In addition to Hannaford's ongoing financial support, several of our key volunteers and returning alumni work at the corporate office and at stores in Maine.  

Thank you for your continued support of our young leaders in Maine!

It is a sure thing that our ambassadors and volunteers won't go thirsty this year thanks to a generous donation of 500 bottles of water from Whole Foods Market!  Thank you!

Thank you Saco Biddeford Savings for becoming an Ambassador Sponsor with your $200 donation to the 2014 HOBY Maine program!  

Your generous support will help make it possible for us to continue to offer our program to outstanding high school sophomores from around the state of Maine.

Embers Stoves & Fireplaces, a family owned business in South Portland, ME has generously donated a total of $300 to support HOBY Maine.  Not only are they a 2014 Ambassador Sponsor, they are also a Gold Meal Sponsor for two students!  

This is not the first time Embers has stepped up to support HOBY Maine - Ernie Stanhope, owner, has placed ads in our program book for three years now, he has offered up his parking lot for car washes and has personally helped us by selling and purchasing HOBY Maine raffle tickets.  Thank you Ernie and Embers for your continued support!