Rotary Youth Service Programs

Early Act TM

EarlyAct is a school-wide club for elementary and middle school students from ages 5-14. It is sponsored by a local Rotary club in the township where the school is located. The mission and operation of EarlyAct are closely linked to the ideals of Rotary and provide the foundation and natural succession into Rotary’s high school level service club called Interact.
EarlyAct provides young students the opportunity for gaining an increased awareness and knowledge of their community and the world. At a young age, all students can easily be encouraged to be caring and helpful. Their minds are open to recognize the dignity and worth of each individual, which builds respect for others. EarlyAct promotes understanding and the building of friendships among the club members.

EarlyAct also engages students in character-building activities and prepares them for leadership roles to identify and carry out projects that benefit their school, local and global communities.

The EarlyAct advisor is expected to facilitate at meetings, which can be held as often as once a week or as little as once a month, and to help the students develop two service projects during the school year. The sponsoring Rotary club members help facilitate and act as mentors and role models.

RESOURCES:

Cover for Early Act Manual

EarlyAct Booklet and Manual

Interact

Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club comprised of 14-18 year olds. Interact gives young people the opportunity to take part in fun, meaningful service projects. Along the way, Interactors develop their leadership skills and initiative while meeting new friends. Members exchange ideas, opinions and plans with other talented, energetic people, in an atmosphere free from negative pressures and distraction. Interact strives to promote student leadership, local volunteer service, and to make members aware of the many global and world issues that affect people everyday. Ultimately, students can:

• Become acquainted with a premiere service organization (Rotary International) and proven leaders from communities throughout Rotary;
• Learn how to manage and head community service projects;
• Learn about other Rotary club programs including Rotaract (service club for young adults), Earlyact (a service club for primary school students), youth exchange (a chance to live and study abroad ) and RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards);
• Become familiar with other Rotary International programs, including Ambassadorial Scholarships and GSE.

The word Interact stands for “international action” and today there are more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries.

Rotaract

Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people ages 18-30. Rotaract clubs are usually community or university-based and are sponsored by a local Rotary club, making them true “partners in service” and key members of the Rotary family.

Young adults augment their knowledge and skill and also address the physical and social needs of their communities while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service. Rotaractors also often spearhead the formation of Interact clubs and participate in RYLA.

Rotaract is one of the fastest-growing programs of Rotary service with more than 8000 Rotaract clubs in 155 countries. Rotaractors follow the motto “fellowship through service”.

Rotary Youth Exchange

Rotary Youth Exchange is an excellent and inexpensive way for high school age students to travel and study in a foreign country. For Long-Term exchange, District 6450 belongs to Central States Rotary Youth Exchange (CSRYE), which covers 17 Rotary Districts in the Midwest and Ontario, Canada.

Long-Term exchange involves spending 10 to 11 months in another country. Participants must be between the ages of 16 and 19 and in the upper 50% of their high school class to be eligible and it is possible to go after completing high school as long as the participant is not older than 19 at the start of the exchange year. They will be required to attend a year of high school during their exchange and will live as a family member in the homes of 1 to 3 host families.

Youth exchange gives the participant the opportunity to improve their language skills and school and family experiences will teach them the culture of their host country. They also act as ambassadors for their home country. Each year the Rotary Districts that are part of CSRYE send approximately 300 young people to other countries and accept 300 young people from other countries in return.

Accepting a youth exchange student into your club, community and household can be a very rewarding experience. It’s an opportunity for you, your family and your fellow Rotarians to learn about a different culture and also help a young person understand your culture. The goal of Rotary Youth Exchange is to promote the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace at the person to person level.

For more information go to www.csrye.org

RYLA

Each year thousands of young people take part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) programs worldwide. Young people are chosen for their leadership potential to attend a seminar, camp or workshop to discuss leadership skills and to learn those skills through practice. RYLA aims to:

• Demonstrate Rotary’s respect and concern for youth;
• Provide an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders;
• Encourage leadership of youth by youth; and
• Recognize publicly young people who are rendering service to their communities.

Started in Queensland, Australia in 1959 and officially adopted by Rotary International in 1971, the RYLA program enables young people to debate issues of professional responsibility and human relations, improve leadership and communication skills, learn about businesses or institutions and meet Rotarians, while having fun and making friends. For participants, RYLA provides the opportunity to refine skills and explore pertinent topics with peers and elders; for Rotarians, RYLA offers the chance to help develop leaders, share valuable expertise and bridge the gap between generations. RYLA can help lead to the strengthening and formation of Interact and Rotaract clubs and can be used as a recruiting tool for youth exchange.

The District 6450 program is held the 2nd weekend of October at the Holiday Home Camp on Lake Geneva and is open to high school students in any grade. The 2019 program will cost $335 per student and will run from Friday morning through Monday afternoon.