Above: One of Rotary’s regular good works is paying for “outstanding” Southborough sophomores to attend a youth leadership conference. (images cropped from photos posted on Facebook by Rotary of a past year’s conference.)
The Southborough Rotary Club is seeking to send high school sophomores with demonstrated leadership abilities to a special 3-day overnight conference. The event is the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference.
The conference brings together about 200 students from Rotary Club’s Central MA & Metrowest District.
The district describes three days of interactive sessions:
Activities are designed to help students to stretch and grow. Our full program includes a variety of challenges and enriching sessions which allow them to learn about themselves and others. Students will engage with small and large groups in a program created by student input.
To attend, students must be sponsored by their local chapter. Each year, Southborough Rotary pays the way for worthy teens from our town to attend for free. (Although, this summer is the first time they’re been able to offer attendance at an in-person conference since 2019.) This year, they will select for four students to send.
Here is their announcement:
The Rotary Club of Southborough is actively searching for qualified candidates to attend this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Conference to be held June 23-25, 2023, at Fitchburg State University. This annual leadership conference offers outstanding high school sophomores an opportunity to live, work and interact together in an atmosphere of friendly competition. It is a program designed to challenge the participants to utilize and improve their skills and accept the responsibilities of leadership. Best of all, there is no charge to students who participate! The Rotary Club of Southborough will sponsor four participants at this year’s conference.
Christine Narcisse, local Committee Chairperson, said that participants would be selected from young women and men who have exhibited leadership abilities, and who are currently in their Sophomore year of high school. The Rotary Club of Southborough is now contacting high school principals, guidance counselors, youth organizations and other sources for nominations of conference participants.
Aimed at developing the leadership potential of young men and women, the conference will feature many thought-provoking events including interactive Leadership Labs, exciting guest speakers, and challenging mental and physical activities that will provide the participants with a chance to excel amongst and with their peers. Topics will include decision-making, critical thinking, communicating effectively, ethics, and public service.
Anyone interested in obtaining further information should visit http://www.ryla7910.org/ or contact: Christine Narcisse at christinenarcisse@gmail.com or any other member of the Southborough Rotary Club.
[Note: Since the conference is June 23rd, I should note that the last day of Algonquin’s school year is currently scheduled as June 21st. Of course, future snow days could push that further out.]
