TRAIL stands for Teaching Responsibility And Inspiring Leadership. We are a national 501c3, non-profit affiliation of local youth leadership organizations working to bring the skills and attitudes of responsible leadership to the next generation.

More and more everyday we see evidence of a growing gap between the dreams of young people and an understanding of the steps necessary to achieve those dreams. This is creating a disengaged generation.

Recognizing that leadership comes in all shapes and sizes, from rich and poor, and from every city, town and neighborhood, we seek potential leaders without regard for past achievement, economic advantage, or prior leadership experience. We specialize in finding “diamonds in the rough”, and helping them explore their innate strengths so they can realize their potential and become effective leaders.

RESPONSIBILITY BASED TRAINING
Integrity and Respect

By emphasizing personal responsibility and service to others, TRAIL Seminars help overcome the lack of clear guiding values in society. Teaching young people to be caring, public-spirited citizens—in their schools, communities and nation—is one of the most promising paths to our future.

TRAIL’s local chapters have been providing leadership programs for over twenty years. Each fall we invite every high school—public and private—to nominate one potential leader from the sophomore class. These students are then invited to attend a 3-4 day leadership seminar held in the spring. Usually hosted at a college or university, these seminars bring together outstanding young people from around their state. The skill training, demonstrations, activities and discussions are designed by the local chapter’s volunteers to instill the attributes, attitudes and actions of responsible leaders.

The State Leadership Seminars are the gateway programs that introduce these future leaders to the values of leadership, citizenship and community service. They learn while interacting with other potential leaders from every background and community throughout their state.

Service projects are utilized both during the seminars and afterwards as a way to introduce young leaders to the personal and social values of service as well as volunteerism. After attending a seminar, the participants are eligible to join Junior Leader or Alumni Clubs as a way to stay connected with their leadership classmates and to pursue ongoing opportunities to provide leadership—including as junior staff at future state leadership seminars.

Many local Chapters and Junior Leader Clubs will organize smaller one-day leadership seminars called PATH* to Leadership (*Practices And Teachable Habits) in their hometowns. These provide a way of putting leadership skills into practice and bringing our exciting experience to more young people.