Youth Opportunities

RYLA - Rotary Youth Leadership Award

Young people participate in a week-long programme including a variety of indoor and outdoor activities aimed at developing leadership qualities, confidence and sense of pride in achievement. They take part in hill-walking in the Cairngorms, mountain biking, raft building, climbing, gorge walking, kayaking or canoeing and various static challenges around the Abernethy site. They also hear from many interesting and inspirational speakers throughout the week.

Photograph: RYLA 2024 candidates together with Dai John (president of the Rotary Club of Dundee)

Aim & Objectives
The Aim of the Youth Committee is to continue to focus on the Club’s engagement with young people in helping to develop personal qualities and life skills that will equip them for the challenges that lie ahead.  This will include, in collaboration with other local clubs, the Rotary Young Leadership Awards (RYLA) experience, which we will continue to fund for selected young people at the girls’ and boys’ camps, The Committee will continue to collaborate closely with local primary and secondary schools, partnering with Broughty Ferry and Claverhouse clubs in delivering a variety of competitions, including Young Writer and Young Musician, progressing successful competitions to District level and potentially beyond. The Committee will seek to revitalize Rotaract locally, identifying means of support from the Club to advise and guide Rotaract office bearers, liaising with the International & Foundation Committee in pursuit of international students’ involvement with Rotaract. 

Specific Objectives are as follows:

• Promote and recruit six participants for RYLA (WM).
• Promote and support participation in youth competitions, including organizing Young Musician events and support progression of competitors to District level.
• Engage with local primary and secondary schools each term to support the efforts of Rotakids and Interact respectively, seeking to assist their efforts in delivering community benefit.
• Organize local participation the Primary School Quiz (JP & TH).
• Support Rotaract through engaging with, advising and guiding office bearers and helping in the identification and recruitment of new members.
• Collaborate with the International & Foundation Committee in engaging with potential Rotaract members drawn from the international student body.
• Coordinate payment of the fifth (and final) year of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Design post-graduate student bursary, in liaison with the Community Projects & Vocational Committee identify and make recommendations to Council on alternative beneficiaries of this funding.
• Working with the Admin, Fellowship & PI Committee, identify and exploit potential PI opportunities of the Committee’s youth activities, demonstrating and emphasizing the Club’s vibrancy, visibility and volunteering credentials.

Budget includes 6 places for RYLA, plus £ (TBC) for competitions, prizes printing programmes, certificates.

Youth Opportunities

Rotary offers many opportunities for children and young people:

• promote community service
• facilitate greater international understanding
• identify and develop the leaders of tomorrow
• recognise and celebrate the achievements of young people through RotaKids, Interact clubs, the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA), Youth Exchange and a range of cultural and sporting activities
• actively facilitate the promotion of the wide range of Youth Activities to enable young people of all ages to enjoy the challenges offered and to develop strong bonds of friendship with other participants
• develop a regular and on-going dialogue with young men and women to help them to articulate and realise their hopes, dreams and expectations.

Our Club offers many opportunities to the young people in our schools, colleges and universities.

Young Chef Competition

Students are challenged to plan, discuss, prepare and present a two-course meal on a limited budget.
Invariably the judges are amazed at the skill that the young people show.

Youth Speaks

A competition in which teams of three are challenged to speak in public on a subject of their choice. Professional judges assess the skill of the teams, and the winners have the chance to proceed to the National Finals.