May is Rotary’s Youth Service Month!
Throughout the month, Rotarians, Rotaractors, and younger members of the Rotary family, including Interactors and RYLA and Rotary Youth Exchange participants, celebrate the service, leadership development, connections, and FUN of Rotary’s programs for young leaders.
Every year, over 350,000 young leaders participate in Rotary’s youth programs across Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), and Rotary Youth Exchange. Rotary’s Youth Service Month is an opportunity to promote our young leaders’ local and global impacts and the Rotary and Rotaract clubs that make these programs possible.
Excited to celebrate? Here are four ways to participate:
- Partner with young leaders. Invite youth participants to your Rotary or Rotaract club meetings and together create opportunities for collaboration. Young people are looking for a way to make a difference. Show them how Rotary equips them to do so and join forces as you serve your shared community.
- Start your service-learning journey. Rotary’s approach to youth service, service-learning, is youth-led, hones life skills, and has a lasting impact on communities. Interactive courses and downloadable workbooks are available in Rotary’s Learning Center for adult advisers and youth participants ages 16 and older. Watch this informative video and get started on your service-learning journey today at rotary.org/learn.
- Attend a webinar. As part of the Cultivating Effective Projects webinar series, Rotary International is hosting a webinar on Thursday, 18 May at 18:00 (UTC-5) titled Expanding Reach: Partner with Youth in Service. Learn how to connect and collaborate with youth to increase the impact of your projects and develop youth into leaders.
- Follow along for youth-centered stories. Throughout the month of May, Rotary’s young leaders will be featured across multiple Rotary International platforms. Read the Rotary magazine feature about Interact’s 60th anniversary, subscribe to the Young Leaders in Action newsletter, visit Rotary’s blogs Service in Action and Rotary Voices each week, and follow Rotary’s social media channels to hear directly from youth participants about their Rotary experiences!
Additionally, here are four ways to elevate youth voices:
- Work toward their goals, not yours This is a club by and for young people — allow them to be the ones to shape it. Remember, Rotary members are there to mentor young people, not manage them. Meet them where they are. Let them set the priorities and ask them how you can best support their goals.
- Include youths in your committees, task forces, and teams Look for opportunities to include Interactors in leadership roles in your club and district. Invite Interactors to your district conferences and training events, where they learn alongside other leaders and can contribute to the broader conversation. At the international level, starting in July, Interactors will sit on a reimagined Youth Advisory Council, giving them the chance to have a voice on Rotary’s youth programs.
- Let them take the lead It’s by planning club meetings and service projects that Interactors gain lifelong skills in management, negotiation, and relationship building. So play the supporting role by volunteering at Interact events wherever they need help. Think about additional ways to help Interactors learn leadership skills, such as Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, district leadership events, and local training opportunities.
- Watch out for “adultism” Adults always know best … or do they? Instead of assuming you know all the answers, be ready to ask questions and listen. Think about the respect you’d give another adult’s viewpoints and ideas and treat a teen the same way.
Share how you’re celebrating Rotary’s Youth Service Month on social media with #RotaryYouthService.