Compiled By: Rtr. Tugezeku Kepher Past president Jinja Rotaract club Past assistant District Rotaract Representative

What is YOUTH SERVICE IN ROTARY?? Youth Service is Rotary’s fifth avenue of service which refers to the youngest generation in the family of Rotary.

YOUTH SERVICE IN ROTARY IS SIMPLY These are Rotary’s youth and young adult programs: Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), and Rotary Youth Exchange. Others are service minded to develop Young people

 Interact is a club for youth ages who want to connect with others in their community or school.  Interact club members have fun while carrying out service projects and learning about the world. While Interact clubs receive guidance from individual Rotary clubs, they govern and support themselves.  Fun through service is their theme

 Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18to 30. Rotaract clubs are either community or Tertiary/university based, and they’re sponsored by a local Rotary club. This makes them true "partners in service" and key members of the family of Rotary.

Rotaract and interact clubs are self-governed and largely self financed at the local level. But Working in cooperation with their sponsoring Rotary clubs as partners in service, Rotaractors and interactors are an important part of Rotary’s extended family

How Interact and Rotaract work ?  All Rotaract & Interact efforts begin at the local, grassroots level, with members addressing their communities’ physical and social needs while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service.

Statistics As one of Rotary’s most significant and fastest-growing service programs, with over 250,000 youthin more than 11,000 clubs(interact) & 8,400 clubs in about 170 countries(Rotaract) these have become a worldwide phenomenon.

Why Rotaractors and Interactors are key members of the rotary family?  They mostly do hands on and they are full of energy and do not tire so quickly. Therefore these clubs are sponsored by a local Rotary club. This sponsorship is a result of Rotary’s belief that young people, should take an active interest in community life and have the opportunity for professional development. Organizing these clubs is one of the most rewarding activities a Rotary club can undertake in its community.

 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a leadership development program run by Rotary. While participants can be any age, most events focus on secondary school students, university students, or young professionals. RYLA events are typically 3–10 days long and include presentations, activities, and workshops that cover a variety of topics, including:  Leadership fundamentals and ethics  Communication skills  Problem solving and conflict management  Community and global citizenship

 Youth Exchange is a study-abroad opportunity for young people who spend anywhere from a few weeks to a full year as an international student hosted by local Rotary clubs. This can be through: Ambassadorial Scholars & peace scholars Ambassadorial Scholars & peace scholars or Group Study ExchangeGroup Study Exchange  How much does it cost?  Costs vary from country to country. Local Rotary clubs generously host students and provide room and board with a host family and a small monthly stipend.

Youths as a Resource, can bring new energy to a: Rotary club, inspire fresh ideas for service, increase support for projects, and help develop future Rotary club members.

ROTARIANS SHOULD EXPLOIT YOUTH’S ENERGIES AND EAGERNESS TO DISCOVERIES FOR A BETTER ROTARY CLUB

 Boost rotary fellowship attendance  Work together in partnership (this tremendously offers supervision and reduces the burden on sponsoring rotary clubs) (they become the first participants for RYLA which makes this program well publicised and also help in designing best packages to undertake )  Participate in Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (they become the first participants for RYLA which makes this program well publicised and also help in designing best packages to undertake )Rotary Youth Leadership Awards  Become Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholars or Group Study Exchange team membersAmbassadorial Scholars Group Study Exchange  Seek membership in their local Rotary club when their membership ends.

Inviting them to speak at club meetings Including them in a community service project Sponsoring new Rotaract club and interact club (Schedule a meeting with local school administrators to get started.) Holding a career day for youths Attending Interact/Rotaract club meetings, and inviting Interactors/Rotaractors to attend your Rotary club meetings (like today) Assigning Rotary club members to mentor these youths

 How to grow friendship: Pick a good heart, plant it in soil of trust, nourish with good thoughts, add some faith, remove misunderstandings & keep in touch. This is what Rotary does to the youths!!!!!  When someone is sweet to you don't expect they'll be like that all the time because even the sweetest chocolate has an expiry date. Me as a Rotaractor, Interactor and Rotarian??? I am different. I am wine, no expiry and the older the better

The relationship with good persons is like sugarcane, you break it, crush it, squeeze it or even beat it and grind it, still you will get only sweetness. This can only be found in the family of rotary