Youth Service

The Rotary Club of Market Harborough provides many opportunities for the personal and leadership development of local young people. These opportunities come through a number of channels and we welcome enquiries from any parent, teacher or student who is interested in finding out more.  

Rotary Youth Programmes

1. Interact - a Rotary sponsored service club for young people ages 12-18

The club gives young people an opportunity to participate in fun, meaningful service projects while developing leadership skills and meeting new friends. Through service activities, Interactors learn the importance of:

·         Developing leadership skills and personal integrity;

·         Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others; and

·         Advancing international understanding and goodwill.

Interact clubs can be school based or community based and, whilst our Rotary club, has supported a school based Interact over recent years we would very much like to further develop this programme in Market Harborough. For more information see http://rotary1070.org/youth/interact/

2. Rota Kids - a Citizenship programme aimed at the Primary School age group

This programme for under 12s sets out to introduce Rotary ideals and concepts of citizenship to young people in support of the school curriculum. Students are supported to engage in charity fundraising and to decide how the money raised will help the community. As a club we are really keen to develop this programme in the Market Harborough primary schools but an interested and willing teacher is the most essential ingredient – is that you? Do let us know. For more information about Rota Kids see our District web site at http://rotary1070.org/youth/rotakids/

3. Youth Exchange

We typically support two or three Market Harborough year 12 students each year to take part in our Youth Exchange programme. Selection is subject to interview and, whilst there are various options under the programme, we tend to focus on short term exchange (STEP) arrangements which see local students travelling to, and staying with, a student of similar age and interests elsewhere in the world for two or three weeks. The visit is then reciprocated with the local family hosting the foreign student for a similar period. Recent popular exchange visits have been the USA and Japan and the students travel as representative of the Rotary Club, their school, and the local community. Want to know more? See http://rotary1070.org/youth/youthexchange/

4. Rotary Young Leadership Award (RYLA)

The Rotary Young Leadership Award provides for a week long residential courses at Grafham Water Centre, held each July. These courses are for Young Adults aged 18 – 26. Selection is subject to interview and necessary fundraising. Applicants must be able to commit themselves to the whole week and the course is designed on a basis of team competition with each day building on the knowledge and experience gained in the previous days. Activities include: water sports, practical initiative tests, development of interpersonal skills, camping, map reading, problem solving, a computer based business game and lectures & presentations. For more information see http://rotary1070.org/ryla/

There is a similar opportunity for younger people aged 14-18.

For all Rotary opportunties see Our Programs | Rotary International

5. Youth Competitions

We have a long history as a Club supporting the various youth competitions, organising local heats and supporting students who progress to district and regional levels. We rely on partnering with local secondary schools to host the competitions which include Young Chef, Young Musician, Young Designer, Young Artist, and Young Scientist. Again, for more detail of all the possible competitions see our district website http://rotary1070.org/youth/competitions/

6. Other Youth Activities

Rotary Stars

We enjoy supporting this district project which recognises and rewards Primary School age children for acts of good citizenship. We have also introduce a Rotary Sports Stars award to recognise those demonstrating good sportsmanship. We work with local primary head teachers who nominate pupils for the award. The children are then rewarded with certificates, badges and optionally a monetary token. More details and information for teachers can be found at http://rotary1070.org/youth/rotary-stars/

Peace Poles

One of the key areas of focus for Rotary is that of peace and conflict resolution. With our Rotary Foundation and Youth Service teams working together we are developing a project to support the establishment of peace gardens and peace poles in primary schools.  The purpose is to provide an area where pupils, staff, parents and visitors can ‘chill out’ and think about what the word Peace means to them. Each Peace Pole carries messages of peace in a number of different languages. Do get in touch if you would like to find out more about this initiative.

Literacy

Another key area of focus for Rotary is that of basic education and literacy. In that context we are currently evaluating a new initiative to see if the book ‘The Lost Words’ by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris should/could be of value in primary schools. It is a book which draws attention to words which are disappearing from children's lives. The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration of nature words and the natural world they invoke.

Mock Interviews

We support students from Robert Smyth Academy who are making applications to Oxbridge colleges by providing mock university entrance interviews during the autumn term. Also, mock interviews at welland Park Academy, for further education or job interviews.