News About RYLA

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)      

During June 2010, The Teichert Foundation announced that the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) had been awarded a $5,000.00 grant to fund scholarships to high school juniors in order that they could attend the week long leadership camp held each year at Grizzly Creek Campgrounds in Portola, CA.

Our Rotary of Sacramento Club member Len McCandliss was very instrumental in getting Camp RYLA established, which opened in 2003.  Len tells us that Grizzly Creek Ranch is the creation of Sierra Health Foundation.  The Foundation planned to assist in the healthy development of children with diseases and disabilities through an organized camp experience.  Recently the mission has expanded to include education, particularly science and technology.  As a new facility it offers full accessibility, a modern kitchen, and the amenities to make the camp experience complete.   Sierra Health Foundation owns the fifteen hundred acre site that offers many opportunities for further development of the camp or for other uses. “The camp will be a lasting legacy for the children and youth of Northern California and I am very proud of my part in its development.”

The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards is a complete scholarship awarded to men and women of high school age who are leaving their junior year and will be next year's senior high class. The intent of our program is to prepare these students for leadership roles in their senior year and beyond.

RYLA Scholarships are among the thousands of scholarships given each year by Rotarians worldwide. Through our exchange studies and scholarship programs, students can also visit other countries and attend schools and colleges that might not ordinarily be available to them.

At Camp RYLA they have the opportunity to learn more about themselves through the voices and eyes of people who have experienced life, people who can help them see things from a different viewpoint. They learn not only from special speakers, volunteer Rotarians and non-Rotarians, but by interacting with other scholarship winners just like themselves from high schools from northern California and Nevada.

Pictured at the grant check presentation are Past District Governor of D-5190 Jan Gage, RYLA Board Chair and Executive Director of the Rotary Club of Sacramento, Fred Teichert, Executive Director of The Teichert Foundation and Past District Governor of D-5180 Clarence Parkins who represented RYLA in the grant application process.