District 5010 is proud to host the 26th annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards in Alaska’s End of the Road City, Homer, AK, USA – March 5-8, 2020.
RYLA is a program for teens that are high school sophomores and juniors/in grade 10 and 11.
RYLA Alumni and Rebound Rotary Exchange students (on a space available basis) are also welcome to apply. There is no cost to youth who are selected, as the local Rotary Club pays for the RYLA participants.
RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship and personal growth, as participants learn about their own qualities/skills as a leader and the qualities of effective leaders and effective teams. The RYLA program consists of a combination of icebreaker, team building, and experiential problem-solving activities as well as group discussions and personal reflection. Participants are introduced to practical leadership topics and issues; presentations from Rotary and community leaders. Opportunities are provided to allow RYLA participants to apply their emerging leadership skills in a variety of challenging activities. We also want the RYLA experience to be memorable with other activities which might include a barbeque, dance and/or recreational activities.
The event is co-planned by both RYLA Alumni and Rotarians. RYLA Alumni make sure that the program is fun and relevant to their peers. Alumni have innovative ideas that make sure the days are as interactive as possible and that the adults do not talk for too long. They serve as Alumni Leaders and Facilitators at the event - an opportunity some of the 2020 RYLA participants will have in 2021. We believe that the large number of teens that want to return as RYLA Alumni is an excellent indicator that the program holds the right balance of fun and skill building.
For information about RYLA, check out our Frequently Asked Questions FAQs under Downloads. If you have any additional questions, contact one of the Rotarians below.
Thank you for supporting RYLA!
Sincerely,
Marcus Mueller, District 5010 RYLA Chair, (907) 398-1122 mmueller@borough.kenai.ak.us
Brenda Shelden, District 5010 RYLA Chair-Elect, (907) 841-8942, brendaptatc@yahoo.com
Beth Trowbridge, District 5010 RYLA 2019 Event Chair, (907) 399-6756 swertia82@gmail.com
Peggy Pollen, Fairbanks, RYLA 2020 Event Registrar, (907) 388-2283 peggy.pollen@gm