Volunteering on Staff
Volunteering on Staff
IMPORTANT DATES for STAFF:
Dec 1, 2026-Jan 16, 2027
Staff Applications Open Online
Feb 15, 2027-March 30, 2027
Staff Registration Open Via Email
1 Weekend in April
Mandatory Staff Training
Junior Facilitators
Junior facilitators (JuFas) are staff members under the age of 21 as of Seminar weekend.
Potential Roles:
Group JuFas lead a group of ambassadors alongside a Senior Facilitator (SuFa), guiding through the weekend. Group JuFas help keep their group on schedule, productive in conversation, and help engage the group during the weekend, relating in an organic way, and keeping Seminar fun.
Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) JuFas do not facilitate a small group. PMA JuFas primarily are responsible for keeping the energy level high at seminar. They lead cheers, encourage ambassadors to get involved, and organize games and skits.
Operations (Ops) JuFa is a third possible role for younger applicants in which JuFas help facilitate operations of Seminar including transportation, organization, and transportation of supplies. Ops JuFas are the force that drives Seminar and makes the magic happen.
Requirements:
Age <21
25 documented hours of community service
2 hours of service should come from a civic event.
Prospective JuFas that complete their applications by December 15 will have 5 hours waived!
It is strongly recommended to complete 15 of 25 hours by staff training in April, and we ask that you email your community service log to staff@moleadership.com before your training date.
Completed staff application by January deadline
$200 in fundraising
Attendance at 1 in-person training date in April
Arrival to Seminar on that Thursday afternoon/evening on June 10, 2027 prior to ambassador arrival on Friday morning
A great Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)!
Senior Facilitators
Senior facilitators (SuFas) are staff members at or over the age of 21 as of Seminar weekend. The majority of SuFas have a small group during the weekend and/or come back in a specialized role such as panel speaker, public relations, or other positions on the Board of Directors (BOD).
Requirements:
Age 21+
Completed staff application by January deadline
$250 in fundraising
Attendance at 1 in-person training event in April
Arrival to Seminar on that Thursday afternoon/evening on June 10, 2027 prior to ambassador arrival on Friday morning
A great Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)!
ALL STAFF
ALL staff members are required to attend one of the two training sessions (out-of-state staff included). If there are circumstances that prevent you from attending in person, you need to contact the Director of Staff via email (staff@moleadership.com) ASAP. Those who are approved can Zoom into a training date listed in the application. There is a $50 fee for any staff member that joins the Zoom call without notifying the Director(s) before training. Staff who fail to communicate with the Director(s) of Staff and fail to attend training (in-person or Zoom) lose their invitation to seminar.
Board members are elected each summer for the seminar. Most BOD members are Seminar alumni, but there are a wide variety of positions available. The Board is the year-long planning committee that develops each seminar. If you are interested in possibly becoming a Board member, please email info@moleadership.com.
Every ambassador who attends MLS has the opportunity to apply to return as a volunteer staff member for the following years, and many do, because MLS is always bigger than one weekend.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
MLS is always looking for volunteers and donations. If you would like to become more involved in the seminar but do not have the capacity to serve as a staff member, here are some other things you can do:
Be a “Pro” at our Dinner with a Professional (DWAP)
Volunteer as a speaker for one of our 2027 panels
Attend a Board of Directors meeting and help plan the 2027 seminar
Donate items from our gift-in-kind list or gift cards to Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc.
Attend or help with a fundraising event for MLS, which happen throughout the year
Donate to MLS (you can specify certain things you would like your donation used for)
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“To whom much is given, much is required. Life with MLS doesn’t just end with the ambassador year seminar, and coming back as seminar staff isn’t the only way to give back to the seminar. Alumni can give time, talent, and/ or treasure. We all serve the seminar in different ways thru out our life span. One phase of life we may have our time and talent to give as seminar staff or on the seminar board. Later we may find we no longer have the same time to give but can give our talent and some time as an advisor or panelist, or give our treasure to sponsor a student or a panel. I owe MLS a debt I can never repay but I’ll spend my life trying. I’ve served the seminar in a variety of roles and will continue to serve.”
—Joel Brown (2000 Ambassador, JuFa, SuFa, now Vice Chairperson)
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“MLS is an organization like no other. I remember being hesitant to go to seminar due to some anxiety/nerves, but the second I stepped out of my car I was welcomed with open arms. That weekend I had as a 15 year old is something I will always remember. The amount of love and acceptance I was shown was something that I really needed at that point in my life, and is something that continues to impact me years later. MLS is a community for life that truly does wonderful work. I recently returned to MLS as a Senior Facilitator and felt all of the seminar love all over again. MLS in any capacity you are involved is a transformative experience, and an experience that includes some of the most genuine and loving people I have ever met.”
—Beth Wisbey (2016 Ambassador, now SuFa)
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“From the moment that I get to UCM’s campus every year, I am a completely reinvigorated person who gets to be exactly who she wants to be: unapologetic, outspoken, and confident. My ambassador year could not have come at a better time for me mentally, but since then, the benefits of Seminar have only grown because of my returns to staff. It is one incredible feat for Seminar to allow ambassadors to love who they are already, but it is a whole different miracle to motivate ambassadors to even want to better themselves and widen their perspectives, both inward and outward. Truly, nothing relights my fire for life like MLS does.”
—Christie Phillips (2018 ambassador, JuFa, now SuFa & Board of Directors Webmaster & Co-Director of Programs)