Uptown Rotary Scholarship Recipients Attend Camp RYLA Leadership Camp
Posted by Jeff Strater
Recently two of our scholarship recipients completed their week at Camp RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) leadership camp. The Rotary Club of Dallas Uptown provides two scholarships each year, one inspired by and funded by club member, Alicia Slay, the A. Slay Annual RYLA Scholarship, and the other by the members of Uptown Rotary. The clubs of Rotary International District 5810 provide scholarships for over 180 high school juniors to participate in the six-day leadership camp. At the end, the most common review by campers proclaimed it a “life changing“ experience. RYLA is a leadership program coordinated by Rotary Clubs across the globe.
Through Rotary International District 5810’s Camp RYLA, “Leaders of Tomorrow” have a forum for teamwork, communication, and consensus building in an environment that challenges personal and team responsibilities. This week long leadership skills summer camp annually provides over one hundred outstanding North Texas high school student leaders the opportunities to expand and hone their leadership skills through cabin activities, athletic events, educational workshops, and team building exercises.
Who participates in Camp RYLA
RYLA campers are high school juniors who have excelled in one or more areas of high school involvement and who have proven leadership potential. Last year, all 61 clubs in Rotary District 5810, recruited from approximately 80 area high schools for camper scholarships. Interviews were conducted from over 1000 student applications. A hard decision in filling the 150 spots in final attendance.
The objectives of RYLA
- To provide an atmosphere where future leaders will experience learning situations that will aid them in developing sound values.
- To promote an environment that will provide each individual with a basis of insight and understanding for intelligent leadership.
- To promote involvement that encourages participants to think through appropriate actions based on values and ethics.
- To encourage students through cooperative activities and group dynamics to develop leadership skills that can be carried back to their high schools and be modeled by other students