Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a leadership program coordinated by Rotary Clubs around the globe. Individuals aged 14–30 are sponsored by Rotary Clubs to attend event(s) run by the club's district committee. The format of the event vary from district to district, but commonly take the form of a seminar, camp, or workshop to discuss leadership skills and to learn those skills through practice. Rotary clubs and districts select participants and facilitate the event's curriculum.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
Formation1971
WebsiteRYLA

History

In 1959, the State Government of Queensland, Australia, invited local Rotary Clubs to help plan an event to help celebrate the upcoming centennial of the state. Princess Alexandra, who was in her early 20's was due to attend the celebrations, so activities were planned specifically for the princess's age group.[1]

The gundoo, an aboriginal word meaning "festival" or "fun together," was deemed successful with more than 300 men and women between the ages of 17 and 23 attending. Rotary sought to create an annual youth program based on Gundoo. The governor of the then District 260, Art Brand, approved the project and on 2 May 1960, RYLA was an official Rotary project.

Australian districts 258 and 260 established a committee together that developed the official framework of RYLA: to train youth ages 14-30 in character, leadership, personal development, and good citizenship. These guidelines helped RYLA expand to all Rotary districts in Australia and led to its approval as a Rotary International program by the Rotary International Board at the 1971 Convention in Sydney, Australia.

See also

References
  1. Rotary International Website Archived 2011-06-13 at the Wayback Machine
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