Our approach in Rotary is shifting from a training model to a learning model. This is part of the Action Plan goal of putting participants at the center of what we do. In practice, this means that members will have more active involvement in their learning and more control over it. It also means the people who lead Rotary learning experiences will serve more as facilitators who guide members to share their ideas than as lecturers who tell members information to know.
Our online courses are now designed to offer foundational information at the user’s own pace. People will then use that knowledge to inform and enhance their experience at in-person sessions, which will include facilitated discussions and small-group activities. Our leader’s guides for in-person events reflect this shift.
There’s no one right way for people to learn about a topic and increase their skills. That’s why we’ve incorporated a blended approach in many of our materials.
As we shift to a learning culture that prioritizes facilitation, these titles will also change:
Our online courses are now designed to offer foundational information at the user’s own pace. People will then use that knowledge to inform and enhance their experience at in-person sessions, which will include facilitated discussions and small-group activities. Our leader’s guides for in-person events reflect this shift.
There’s no one right way for people to learn about a topic and increase their skills. That’s why we’ve incorporated a blended approach in many of our materials.
As we shift to a learning culture that prioritizes facilitation, these titles will also change:
| Current Title | New Title (1 Jul 2023) |
| Club Trainer | Club Learning Facilitator |
| District Trainer | District Learning Facilitator |
| District Training Committee | District Learning Committee |
| International Assembly Training Leader | International Assembly Learning Facilitator |
| Regional Leaders Training Institute | Regional Leader Learning Event |
Want to learn more about the Board decisions taken in December 2022 that change leadership titles as of 1 July 2023? Curious how we are moving from content-centered-training and moving towards participant-centered-learning? For more information, check out the following recorded webinar for district leaders and club officers who organize learning events for members.
What's in the Learning Center
If you haven't been, go to rotary.org/learn and log into My Rotary to check it out and create an account. Here are 10 reasons to visit today:
- Learn more about Rotary programs and policies
- Develop skills
- Track your own progress
- Earn badges and compete with others in your zone and district
- Find content in 23 languages
- Create a list of your favorite courses or materials
- Upload materials or links to share with others
- Discuss resources and ask questions
- Earn certificates
- Get the most up to date content!
As of 1 July, the RI Board of Directors is requiring that incoming club presidents, secretaries, and treasurers complete their learning plans as part of the preparation for their roles.
Updated infographics in the Learning Center make it easier for leaders to learn and develop the skills they need. These are available for the club president, secretary, treasurer, district governor, assistant governor, and district Rotary Foundation committee roles. Thanks to your feedback, these documents now have links to the relevant learning plans and a help guide at the bottom to access the Learning Center.
Updated infographics in the Learning Center make it easier for leaders to learn and develop the skills they need. These are available for the club president, secretary, treasurer, district governor, assistant governor, and district Rotary Foundation committee roles. Thanks to your feedback, these documents now have links to the relevant learning plans and a help guide at the bottom to access the Learning Center.
Accessing the Learning Center
Want to access the Learning Center and don't have a My Rotary account yet? Use this document to help you get started: https://my-cms.rotary.org/.../how-create-my-rotary-account
Note: if you create a My Rotary account with an email different from the one your club uses for your membership, it will create a non-member My Rotary account. Be sure to update your email with your club secretary before creating an account with a different email.
Special Courses
Creating an Inclusive Club Culture
Recent Rotary research confirms that the most important factor in member satisfaction is the club experience.What are your clubs doing to ensure that members are getting the kind of experience they want?
Take the Creating an Inclusive Club Culture course to learn how to foster fun and inclusive club meetings. Enroll Now
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
To learn about building a culture of care in Rotary, take the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Basics courses. Start a discussion with your members to assess your club’s culture and think about what changes you could make to be more inclusive.Use the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Intermediate courses to facilitate discussions on how your club can help lead change, build a consensus, and create more diverse and inclusive clubs.
We want to hear from you! Tell us how these DEI courses have helped your clubs. Write to us
More available courses
Best Practices for Engaging Members
Is your club losing more members than it’s gaining? Is participation low at meetings and events? Are the same few people doing all the work? Because your club’s members are at different stages in life and in their membership, their needs differ, too. This course will help you develop strategies for engaging people at all stages of membership. You’ll learn how to energize the club experience, keep members interested, and prevent your club from becoming stale.
Check out the Best Practices for Engaging Members course (My Rotary log in required).
Rotary's Action Plan and You
Learn how Rotary’s Action Plan can help your club increase its impact, expand its reach, better engage its members, and keep adapting to a changing world. Our research shows that clubs that develop and follow a strategic plan are stronger than clubs that don’t. Their members are more satisfied and view their clubs and Rotary more positively.
Take the course Rotary’s Action Plan and You to learn more (My Rotary log in required).
Club Administration Committee Basics
Learn about how you’ll help the club function smoothly and create positive experiences for members as you begin planning for your term on the club administration committee here
Take the Club Administration Committee Basics course to learn more (My Rotary log in required)
Minimizing Risk
As a club or district leader, learn what you need to know to reduce risk and use insurance to protect yourself, others, and the club or district.
Take the Minimizing Risk course today to protect your club, your members, your partners and your stakeholders!
Working with Your Club Leadership Team
Learn how you can work with other club leaders to plan activities, structure committees, engage members, and set and achieve goals for your club.
Take the Working with Your Club Leadership Team course in the Learning Center
Managing Club Business!
As president, secretary, treasurer, you're charged with seeing that your Rotary or Rotaract club runs effectively and efficiently. Learn about the processes for amending your bylaws, reporting members, and managing finances by taking the new Managing Club Business course for Club Presidents, Club Secretaries, and Club Treasurers: (My Rotary log in required).
Rotary Club Central Resources
Need to set goals for you club and not sure where to start?
Take the Rotary Club Central Resources course to learn how to set goals. This course is available in 20 different languages. (My Rotary log in required)
Building Rotary's Public Image
Explore the importance of Rotary’s public image and your role in not just raising awareness of Rotary but also helping people actually understand us.
Complete the Building Rotary's Public Image course to learn more (My Rotary login required).
Promoting Rotary on Social Media
Want to see how best to use social media to promote Rotary, the work of your club, as well as, encourage member attraction and engagement?
Then take the Promoting Rotary on Social Media course today
Rotary Basics
On February 23, 1905, Paul Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram Shorey met in Chicago to form a business networking group. Shortly thereafter, the group became the world's first service organization.
Learn more by taking our Rotary Basics course!
Get Ready To Lead
Based on member feedback, we've updated the role-based graphics to prepare for your role by adding links to the learning plans and a document to help you access the Learning Center if you have questions.
Check out the Get Ready courses for club president, club secretary, club treasurer, assistant governor, district governor-nominee, and district Rotary Foundation committee to find the updated documents.
- Club President Basic
- Club President Intermediate
- District Governor Basics courses (for Governors-nominees)
- District Governor Intermediate courses (for Governors-elect)
- Club Secretary
- Club Treasurer (alt)
- Club Service Projects Committee Basics
- Club Membership Committee Intermediate
- Club Public Image Committee
New Member Basics
Are you new to Rotary or know someone who is? Want to learn about Rotary's history, The Rotary Foundation, and how to take full advantage of your membership?
Check out the new learning plan - New Member Basics - and start your Rotary adventure the right way!
Develop a Speech
Have you been trying to draft a speech for an upcoming learning event? Looking for some best practices?
Check out Develop a Speech course in Rotary's Learning Center
Mentoring Basics
Not just for Vocational Service month in January, but for the entire year, find out how you can mentor others and give back something that will help others for their lifetime.
Learn more about mentorship through the Mentoring Basics course.
The Power of Giving
Our donors’ impact to the Foundation is vital. Learn about the Foundations funds and programs that benefit from your donations.
Check out The Power of Giving course.
Protecting Youth Program Participants
Check out the updated video message from Jennifer Jones, RI President 2022-23 about the importance of protecting youth.
Strategies for Attracting New Members
Wondering how best to recruit new club members?
Check out the latest updates in the revised Strategies for Attracting New Members course.
Orientation for Global Grant Scholars or VTT Member
Do you have someone who is preparing to be a Global Grant scholar or vocational training team member? We've updated the orientation course and turned it into two learning plans.
Check out the Orientation for Global Grant Scholars course and/or the Orientation for Vocational Training Teams course in the Learning Center - My Rotary log in required (note non-members can sign up for a My Rotary account).
Professional Development
Check out one of these 10 skill development courses found in the Professional Development course catalog to continue your learning journey.
- Develop a Speech
- Deliver a Speech
- Essentials of Understanding Conflict
- Fundraising Basics
- Leading a Team
- Leading Change
- Mentoring Basics
- Microaggressions
- Resiliency
- Uncovering Unconscious Bias
District Committee Basics
Are you an incoming district committee chair? Interested in learning more about one of more of the following:
- Working with Your District Team
- Leading an Effective Committee
- Rotary's Action Plan and You
- Protecting Personal Data
- Committing to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Preventing and Addressing Harassment
- Leading Change
- Essentials of Understanding Conflict
Don't forget to complete the District Committee Basics learning plan prior to your District Team Training Seminar.
District Training
Are you a current or incoming District Trainer?
Check out the Trainer course catalog to find Leader's Guides and courses on facilitation. The PETS Leader's Guide has been recently updated and posted in languages.
Microaggressions
Looking to help in identifying certain behaviours among members and how best to deal with certain situations?
Check out the Microaggression course in Rotary's Learning Center.
Areas of Focus
Curious about what Rotary is doing in each of it's Areas of Focus? Want to learn about successful projects in each area?
Check out the Area of Focus course on Rotary's Learning Center.
Updated Learning Center Course Catalog
Explore all the courses available on the Learning Center with our PDF course catalogs. Newly updated for April, find out what courses and learning plans are new or have been updated in the last quarter.
Course catalog PDFs are available in English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese, but there are more languages available on the Learning Center itself!
More Information on Rotary Learning Center
Looking for a presentation about the Learning Center? Want to give a presentation to your members about the Learning Center? Download a great presentation from the Learning Center team (My Rotary login required). If you would like a staff member to present to your club, district meeting, or zone meeting, contact learn@rotary.org.