CONFERENCE

Volunteers are the heart of the MYLead magic that comes to life at each of our conferences.

In-person conferences will be occurring again in 2023! We are excited to welcome all of our volunteers to our two conferences at Michigan State University May 19-21 and June 23-25.

Applications will open again in November for our 2024 volunteer positions. Please watch our social media and email communications for more information.

Conference Alumni (CA)

As a team, the Conference Alumni (CAs) provide the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm that separate MYLead from other leadership conferences. CAs breathe life into moments that may otherwise lose purpose.

On a personal level, CAs are responsible for connecting with Young Leaders (YLs) one-on-one. They get to know each YL in their group by asking questions, bringing each person into the conversation, and encouraging folks to take steps outside their comfort zone as the weekend progresses. Successful CAs build emotional connections with their YLs and encourage them to do the same with one another, allowing our time together to be more meaningful, memorable, and fun.

In order to be a CA, you must:

Have attended a MYLead conference/summit as a YL at least one year prior to being a CA.
Be under the age of 21 at the time of the conference.
Commit to staying on-site for the entire weekend.
Fundraise a minimum of $275 for the first *three* years of being a CA.^
Log 100 hours of community service between May 1 and April 30.
Work with your high school to nominate young leaders to attend.
Successfully pass a criminal background check if you are over the age of 18.
Attend the required training sessions to learn how to be effective in your role.
In lieu of fundraising, folks that have already raised funds for *3* full years to be a CA have the option to either assist in recruitment calling efforts or to serve on the planning team leading up to the conferences.

^ MYLead has a scholarship available for volunteers experiencing financial hardship who are concerned about meeting the fundraising requirement. If this describes your situation, you are welcome to complete a scholarship application that will be kept private and confidential. You can access more details about the scholarship here. Scholarship applications must be completed before March 31 to qualify for fundraising alternatives this year.

Group Facilitator (GF)

Group Facilitators (GFs) are our surrogate parents for the weekend. Each is paired with at least one Conference Alumni (CA), and together, they are responsible for a homegroup of 5-10 Young Leaders for the weekend.

GFs maintain knowledge of their homegroup members’ whereabouts and make sure activities run timely. They facilitate discussion during homegroup time, asking probing questions, helping young leaders reflect on what they are learning, and creating space for individuals to safely be vulnerable with one another.

As the “adults-in-the-room”, they keep us in line, while still enabling the transformation that only MYLead can provide in *three* short days.

Previous experience with MYLead is very helpful, but not necessary to volunteer in this role.

In order to be a GF, you must:

Commit to staying on-site for the entire conference weekend.
Be at least 21 years of age at the time of the conference.
Successfully pass a criminal background check.
Provide at least one character reference (preferably from a MYLead volunteer) as part of the application process.
Attend the required training sessions to learn how to be effective in your role.

Logistics Intern (LI)

As a team, Logistics Interns (LIs) provide the magic behind the curtain, the Oz if you will, that makes MYLead run so smoothly. Working primarily out of conference headquarters, they are our primary contact with MSU ensuring all the little odds and ends get taken care of no matter what building we are in.

This team is the mastermind behind organizing and operating check-in and check-out. Interns prepare materials for homegroups, workshops, and team meetings. They organize and staff the MYLead store, checking inventory, personalizing apparel, and selling merchandise throughout the weekend.

Last but not least, they handle special requests, respond to parent calls and questions, and troubleshoot behind-the-scenes when issues arise. In short, we couldn’t make the weekend work without their diligence.

Previous experience with MYLead is very helpful, but not necessary to volunteer in this role.

In order to be an LI, you must:

Commit to staying on-site for at least 2 full days of the conference weekend.
Fundraise $70 for 2 full days on-site, or $140 if you are staying for the entire weekend.^
Log 50 hours of community service between May 1 and April 30.
Work with your high school to nominate young leaders to attend.
Successfully pass a criminal background check if you are over the age of 18.
Attend the required training sessions to learn how to be effective in your role.

^ MYLead has a scholarship available for volunteers experiencing financial hardship who are concerned about meeting the fundraising requirement. If this describes your situation, you are welcome to complete a scholarship application that will be kept private and confidential. You can access more details about the scholarship here. Scholarship applications must be completed before March 31 to qualify for fundraising alternatives this year.

Programming Intern (PI)

As a team, Programming Interns (PIs) make sure conference activities are running smoothly, that groups make it from one location to the next in an orderly fashion, and that if someone needs special assistance, they receive it.

PIs work with speakers throughout the weekend to get them to the right place, at the right time, with the needed materials. Before each session, they ensure rooms are set up and technology is working. During the sessions, they introduce speakers, take attendance, and capture candid photos of YLs engaging with one another. After each session, they make sure folks know where to go next and check to make sure each room is left in order.

When moving around campus, interns provide guidance and direction. They may give instructions to large groups or lead the way when we move between buildings. They are the key to making sure no matter where we are or what we are doing, volunteers and YLs alike know what is coming next, where to go, and how to get there.

Previous experience with MYLead is very helpful, but not necessary to volunteer in this role.

In order to be a PI, you must:

Commit to staying on-site for at least 2 full days of the conference weekend.
Fundraise $70 for 2 full days on-site, or $140 if you are staying for the entire weekend.^
Log 50 hours of community service between May 1 and April 30.
Work with your high school to nominate young leaders to attend.
Successfully pass a criminal background check if you are over the age of 18.
Attend the required training sessions to learn how to be effective in your role.

Workshop Facilitator

Leadership is a journey, not a destination. It requires a lifelong commitment to not only educating oneself but also educating others along your path. At MYLead, we don’t do boring lectures. We engage young leaders, allowing them to be active learners as they explore new concepts and ideas around leadership and service.

Workshop Facilitators create and deliver engaging sessions that bring life to these topics by focusing each 50-minute session on helping participants develop core competencies that will make them successful on their journey. At least half of each session is dedicated to participants actively engaging in discussion and kinetically practicing what they are learning.

Session topics allow participants to explore a new way of thinking, navigate common challenges along a leader’s path, or develop one of the many competencies needed to be an effective leader in the service of others. Some of our most well-liked and most influential workshops use creative ways to visually represent concepts being introduced. Words are not always enough. We must strive to engage multiple senses.

In order to be a Workshop Facilitator, you must:

Commit to developing and delivering a highly interactive 50-minute session suitable for high school students.
Provide slides and associated materials to MYLead programming team for review.
Agree to abide by the rules MYLead provides. Ex. No swearing, no politics, etc.
Provide a recording of facilitation or at least one reference that can speak to presentation style and ability as part of the application process.

Photographer & Videographer

A picture is worth a thousand words. Capturing the transformation that occurs from the moment a young leader arrives until the moment that individual leaves MYLead a changed person is important. It helps us tell our collective story and share memories far beyond the conference weekend.

In addition to taking the formal group photos, photographers/videographers are responsible for capturing the intimate and vulnerable moments when young leaders are exploring new ideas or practicing new skills. They capture the moments of pure joy when someone experiences what it is like to truly let go and just have fun. These moments when individuals realize they can authentically be themselves at MYLead, with no fear of judgment, deserve to be documented.

Photographers and Videographers are responsible for collecting the most captivating moments, putting them together with music, and presenting them in a short video for all participants during closing ceremonies. Throughout the weekend, all photos and video clips are saved on the MYLead drive for immediate use by our social media team who will be posting live updates throughout the weekend.

In order to be a Photographer/Videographer, you must:

Be skilled at capturing candid shots without interrupting activities taking place.
Have strong attention to detail when framing shots, keeping the background in mind.
Have the patience needed to capture moments and expressions that reveal what MYLead is all about.
Be willing to save high-resolution photos and video clips to the MYLead drive throughout the weekend for immediate use.