Schools

Seminar Details: June 13-15, 2025 in Waukesha, WI at Carroll University

2025 marks the 48th year that our program will be offered at no cost to the schools or students!

Why Should You Nominate a Student to Represent Your School at WILS?

Nominating a student for the Wisconsin Leadership Seminars (WILS) is a meaningful way to recognize their leadership potential while providing them with a transformative growth opportunity. In our society, a great deal of attention and media exposure is given to young adults who act negatively. WILS is set up to provide recognition and growth opportunities to students who act positively and acknowledge that we value the contributions they are making now and those they will make in the future.

Here’s why you should consider selecting a sophomore for this free, impactful program:

1. Opportunity for Personal Leadership Development
   Each year, WILS invites schools from Wisconsin & Upper Michigan to nominate one sophomore leader to participate in our annual three-day seminar. Attendees join an elite group of young leaders, engaging in activities that build self-confidence and purpose. Students explore their leadership styles, interact with peers from diverse backgrounds, and gain new perspectives through discussions, workshops, and hands-on projects. We encourage leadership development through emphasis on our pillars of personal responsibility, service, inclusiveness, and decision making.

2. Completely Free for Students and Schools
   Thanks to generous donors and a 100% volunteer-run organization, WILS covers all costs, including lodging, meals, materials, facilities, staffing, and a t-shirt. This ensures that every nominated student has access to this prestigious experience based on their merit, not their socioeconomic status. 

3. Lifelong Benefits Beyond the Seminar
   The opportunities with WILS don’t end after the annual seminar. Participants can join WILS’ active alumni association, which offers ongoing leadership development through volunteer opportunities, networking events, and even college scholarships along with the opportunity to serve on statewide committees to help plan and staff future leadership seminars. Alumni often credit WILS as a pivotal moment in their personal and professional growth. 

4. Celebrate Your School’s Leadership Excellence
   By nominating a student, you not only reward their contributions but also showcase your school’s commitment to fostering leadership development. WILS alumni are often inspired to give back to their communities, making a lasting positive impact. This is a chance for your school to spotlight a student who excels in academics, extracurricular activities, or community service—or one who shows untapped leadership potential that could flourish with encouragement. A nomination honors a deserving student while opening doors to a lifetime of opportunity.

Nomination process

Do you have a high school sophomore who deserves to be recognized and would benefit from this opportunity? We think every sophomore class has at least one! The method by which you make this selection is entirely up to you. Please select one student nominee (and one alternate who will be contacted to attend if your primary nominee is unable) who is a sophomore in the 2024-25 school year who already demonstrates strong leadership skills or who you believe has leadership potential. If there is already a nomination process at your school, fabulous! If not, take a bit of time now to determine what you feel to be the best criteria for selection of the nominee from your school. We believe leadership comes in many forms, and it is our goal as a leadership seminar to cultivate the unique leadership qualities of the person you nominate. Please look for an exceptional student who you believe represents the leadership potential of your student body.

Once your nomination has been processed you will receive a confirmation email. Students will also be notified by email within a few weeks of their nomination and receive more program details and registration information.