Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) Camp

The Americus Rotary Club’s signature project each year is planning, organizing, staff, and running the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Camp for District 6900. This takes place over a five day period in June each year. This year's event will be held June 2, 2018 through June 6, 2018. We anticipate having 144 students from District 6900 with an annual project cost of $65,000.

The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive training program that brings together youth and young adults, ages 15-17, to further develop character and leadership skills and learn about Rotary. Participants are nominated and sponsored by local Rotary Clubs within District 6900. For these young adults, this recognition offers the opportunity to build self-confidence, gain exposure to a variety of issues and people, meet active community leaders, and learn valuable information and career skills. 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. Through Rotarians’ constant belief in the potential of youth, RYLA has since become an opportunity to help the next generation of leaders define themselves and expand their skills. The Americus Rotary Club has sponsored and facilitated this event for District 6900 since 2002.

Our RYLA shares the following program objectives:
• To demonstrate Rotary’s respect and concern for youth
• To encourage and assist young people in responsible and effective voluntary youth leadership by providing them with a valuable training experience
• To foster continued and stronger leadership of youth by youth
• To publicly recognize the many young people who are rendering service to their communities as youth leaders

RYLA enables every Rotary Club to acknowledge the service to the community of young people.
RYLA excites young leaders and provides them with improved techniques, which are brought back to their community.
RYLA diverts public attention from delinquent elements to those who are willing to serve, thus giving more responsible young people much needed encouragement.
RYLA helps bridge the communications gap between generations and improve relationships with young groups, families, and communities.
RYLA is a complimentary program to other Rotary youth activities and has been instrumental in the formation of Rotary Clubs.