The Ottawa-Stittsville Rotary Club is pleased to announce that the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) 2022 will take place from Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31. We are very excited to announce that RYLA 2022 will be an in-person event at RKY Camp. The camp, located on Eagle Lake north of Kingston, was founded by the Rotary Club of Kingston. It is an ideal location for the clubs in the District and we have an outstanding program planned.
What is RYLA?
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs and districts around the world. It is entirely volunteer-run with many organizers and counselors being past RYLA delegates themselves. Participants attend RYLA with the financial support of a local Rotary club who “award” youth with a chance to participate in this once in a lifetime experience. Youth are selected based on the demonstration of leadership potential and a desire to be of service to their local and global communities. After RYLA, participants are required to present to their sponsor club based on their experience.
What do participants experience at RYLA?
At RYLA participants:
- Develop skills as a leader while having fun and making connections.
- Build communication and problem-solving skills.
- Discover strategies for becoming a dynamic leader in their school or community.
- Learn from community leaders, inspirational speakers, and peer mentors.
- Unlock their potential to turn motivation into action.
- Have fun and form lasting friendships!
How do I apply for RYLA?
If you are interested in exploring and building your leadership experience, submit an expression of interest to the Ottawa-Stittsville Rotary Club (jas.michalski@rogers.com). In your submission please introduce yourself and include a short description of what leadership means to you and what scares you about being in a leadership position. If selected, you will also be asked to submit a 2-5 minute video taken on your phone, tablet, or computer etc., expanding on your written answers.
These short videos are a great way to get to know you a little bit before camp and will be shown to your sponsor Rotary club, your small group participants (5-8 other youth who you will participate in activities with throughout RYLA in order to help everyone get to know their group before camp starts!) and your assigned counselors. We will not be judging based on production value, so you’ll be encouraged to get as creative as you like.
More information can be found on RYLA | District 7040.