What is RYLA?

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary's leadership training program for young people. RYLA participants can be ages 14-30, but most clubs and districts choose to focus on a narrower age range, such as 14-18 or 19-30.  RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth.  Through the program Rotary demonstrates respect and concern for youth, provides an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders, encourages leadership of youth by youth and publicly recognizes young people who are rendering service to their communities. 

Though each RYLA event is tailored to participants’ ages and interests, the RI Board recommends a core curriculum that covers the fundamentals of leadership, ethics of positive leadership, importance of communication skills in effective leadership, problem solving and conflict management, what Rotary is and what it does for the community, self confidence and self-esteem building, and the elements of community and global citizenship.

RYLA programs consist mainly of presentations, activities, and workshops. These three components are supplemented by group work, which can enhance presentations and facilitate team building. 

The District 5440 RYLA is held at the YMCA Camp of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO. Districts 5440 and 5450 co-sponsor the only Young RYLA (for incoming 8th graders) in the US.  YRYLA is held in Larkspur, Colorado and involves many Rotarians from both districts as Counselors. 

Our District 5440 Russian Committee helped to get RYLA started in Saratov, Russia a few years ago.   The committee is still financing the project on a declining basis.  Two Rotaractors from Saratov were sponsored to attend our RYLA  a year ago as they help with the program over there.  

Mary McIlvaine was kind enough to share part of a letter she and George received from Denis Kamishov, a 16 year old Russian friend, who attended RYLA this past summer.  He says, "I think that my greatest experience of the summer and even of my whole life is RYLA!   That was the first time I was involved in something really great!  I made a lot of friends.  I am trying to keep contact with them.  Our Saratov Rotaract club made some charity action and I was a volunteer.  I stayed in some supermarkets to get school supplies for children from the orphanage and I got much more stuff than other members of Rotaract in those days!!   Thanks a lot for the possibility to visit RYLA and the USA.  I really improved my leader skills."

Jordan Tompkins was sponsored by the Sunrise Club for the YRYLA program this year.  She was very excited when I asked her of her experience.  She said, "I was lucky to be chosen for Young RYLA.   It was the best experience of my life.  More than 100 kids attended and we were divided into groups with a Junior Counselor and a Senior Counselor.   My group was Team D and we were known as "Dynamite"!!    Whenever I felt like I couldn't do something (such as the zip line or the climbing wall), my team was there to encourage and help me.   We had a lot of great speakers and I made so many new friends.   Our motto was "The Power of One" and we learned that even one person can make a difference in the world.   I want to help with the Purple Pinkie projects to raise money for Polio."  

The RYLA programs wouldn’t be a success without the involvement of our club members.  When asked why she has chosen to work with the RYLA Program, Sharon Green said, “The reason I have chosen to work with this program is that it reaches the young person at a point in their lives where it can make a big impact on their high school years and the choices they make.  My experience has been as a chair for both programs that the students that are chosen for this award come back wanting to be a leader, believing that one person can make a difference and builds skills for working with others to find solutions to issues.  Most often the students have built relationships with others at the camp that continue across state and cultural lines, which I believe typifies Rotary International and it's success in building ‘bridges of relationships’ internationally.”  Chris Church added that he “likes seeing local youth become effective leaders in their schools and our community.  He hopes many will become involved in other Rotary youth programs and eventually Rotarians.”

RYLA gives Rotarians the opportunity to mentor promising young leaders serving their own communities and beyond. Rotarians serve as resources for participants on the path to becoming professional and community leaders. In turn, RYLA can bring new energy to a Rotary district, inspire ideas for service, increase support of community service projects, and develop future Rotarians.  If you would like to become involved in the RYLA programs, please contact Chris Church or Sharon Green.