Rotarians

Due to COVID-19, our RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Conference was not held in 2020 or 2022. RYLA is one of several Rotary programs for teens which help them develop their leadership skills and expose them to the value of being involved with their communities and Rotary, both now and in the future!

We are still fine-tuning the program for 2023, but past programs at the live conferences have included topics on –

• Traits of a servant leader
• Running effective meetings
• Reaching consensus in groups
• Appreciating and seeking diversity in groups
• The role of ethics in leadership
• Planning successful service projects and fund raisers
• Resume writing and interviewing skills
• Preparing for college
• What is Rotary and what can it do for you?

We need your help with five tasks. 

1. By December 31, 2022, complete the Club Pledge Form informing us of how many students you wish to send to RYLA at a fixed cost per student. Your club will be billed after January 15, 2023 for your pledged amount of $150 per student. If you have questions, please contact the RYLA Chair.

2. By January 15, 2023, we need you to market the RYLA program to high schools you have a relationship with and then interview the students to select which show the best leadership potential or interest in applying those skills to school or community endeavors the next school year and in the future.

Every year we look for the participants to be diverse based on gender and racial mix, so please keep that in mind when selecting your students. With Rotary International’s President, Jennifer E. Jones, we hope to explicitly “Empower Girls” this Rotary year. Students selected do not need to be the top academic students, but they need to be confident and interested in working with others to provide service to their schools or community.

3. By February 1, 2023, the Student Participation Forms (which you submit on behalf of your student) are due.  If you desire assistance in the marketing or selection process, please contact the RYLA Chair.

4. After the RYLA experience is over (May 14, 2023), please schedule for your RYLA student/s to do a program for your club about what they learned and how they will apply their new skills.

5. Stay in touch with them and invite them to participate in future service or fundraising projects done by your club.

Thank you for providing this meaningful program to a new generation of leaders!