Throughout Rotary, May is designated as "Youth Service Month"; the idea is to focus on all Rotary activities that support the development of young people. Rotary International's structured programs for Youth Service are: Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and Youth Exchange.
Within Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC), Rotarian William Churchill is leading efforts to establish or affiliate with a Rotaract Club at a local university. Honorary CMIRC Member Stasha Malcolm is leading the effort to establish an Interact Club at a local international school.
Of course, we have other projects within our signature focus of “CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH, and EDUCATION". They fall within the broad definition of youth service. Our English Language Cultural Exchange Club program will return to BEAM in May and will resume assisting migrant youth studying to take the American General Education Development Test (GED). These young people do not have a Thai High School diploma and therefore are not eligible to apply for admission to university. A GED certificate will allow them to apply to many international universities.
We are joining with Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) and the Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Child Rights (CPPCR), Safe Child Thailand and other Community Based Organizations to help with birth registration for migrant children. I just spent a most informative day with representatives. Did you realize that children who have no birth certificate are in far greater peril than those who do? Learn more in “Birth Registration” below.