Rotary is committed in many ways to not only developing, but learning from, our next generation of leaders. We help younger leaders build leadership skills, expand education and learn the value of service. In serving our youth, Rotarians of all ages learn so much from them.
Rotary Club of Ladner sponsors the Interact Club – stands for “International + Action” -- at Delta Secondary School, in Ladner, for young people ages 12-18. From a small group of members at the start of the school year, the club grew quickly to upwards of 30 or more, despite the pandemic restrictions.
The Ladner Interactors developed their own projects and set their own direction – from facilitating donations of food to some families needing a hand up and food banks, in our community, to collecting and overseas shipping “Books ‘n’ Cleats Drive” for school children in a community of the Philippines and raising awareness of peacebuilding in our world. In the process, the Interact members have developed leadership skills, met new friends and become even more motivated to give back in service above self.
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In our District 5040 of 50 Rotary clubs, from Greater Vancouver up the coast to Prince Rupert, there are 30 sponsored Interact Clubs, out of the 20,372 Interact clubs of 468,556 members in 159 countries.
At a recent conference of Interactors This year our Delta Secondary Interactors were winners of a district-wide video competition in which they successfully presented all that they had accomplished between September and early April, 2021 amidst the pandemic restrictions.
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This year Ladner Rotary is also sponsoring a young person to attend a virtual version of Rotary Youth Leadership Awards retreats, normally held in person at Camp Elphinstone near Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast. The program provides intensive training for community youth leaders, chosen for their leadership potential to attend, all-expenses-paid, to discuss leadership skills and develop those skills through practice.
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Adventures in Citizenship, this year virtual, is another program Ladner Rotary sponsors, to provide one young person, from among our leaders of tomorrow, with an opportunity to normally join others from across Canada, in our national capital, to learn about our federal government and explore public service as a field of interest, and, in the process, experience the hospitality of Rotarians.Our District 5040 clubs, and many across Canada, host and sponsor short term Adventure programs for youth: Adventures in Citizenship, Film, Forestry, Healthcare, Industry, Technology or Tourism.
In Rotary District 5040, Earlyact is a school wide service club for elementary students from ages 5 to 13, teaching respect, empathy, tolerance, caring, citizenship, compassion, responsibility, leadership, perseverance, friendship and teamwork.
There are nine Rotaract clubs in our District 5040, out of 10,904 community-based or university-based Rotaract clubs around the world, sponsored by local Rotary Clubs, for young men and women ages 18 to 30. Rotaract – standing for "Rotary in Action" – supports young professionals and university and college students cultivate relationships and leadership skills through volunteering for their local communities and others around the world.
We, Rotarians, learn so much from our youth as they emerge as leaders in our communities and throughout our world. Young people who capture the spirit of Service Above Self contribute in so many ways to our communities and to our world through Rotary.