Rotary Youth Leadership Award
Join The Camp
Boy's Camp: July 13th - 19th
The Rotary Youth Leadership Award Camp (RYLA) represents Rotary's unwavering commitment to outstanding community involvement, focusing on youth empowerment before their senior year of high school. The Boys RYLA Camp and the Girls RYLA Camp provide a fantastic one-week leadership development experience at the picturesque Manzano Mountain Retreat. Participants benefit immensely from the expertise and guidance of professionals across diverse fields.
Rotary Clubs throughout New Mexico and West Texas (District 5520) provide 100% scholarships to selected youth. Download The RYLA Brochure
Camp attendees engage in a range of dynamic activities designed to develop vital leadership skills, including group and individual projects, challenges, and engaging sessions with inspiring speakers. This extraordinary program instills a strong sense of service that kids carry into their future careers.
During this pivotal stage of personal growth, campers receive invaluable mentorship and insights from distinguished professionals who volunteer their time and expertise. Notable past speakers have included astronauts, judges, lawyers, physicians, and business leaders. This remarkable exposure equips campers with the motivation and tools to become future leaders within their communities.
Our dedicated counselors and leadership maintain an impressive ratio of two counselors per 7 to 10 campers, providing continuous engagement and guidance throughout the week. Counselors assist campers in decision-making based on Rotary’s “4-Way Test of the Things We Say and Do.” We highly value the essential contributions of our counselors and speakers, whose selfless dedication creates unparalleled opportunities for our youth participants.
The foundational principles of Rotary permeate all camp activities, both individual and collaborative. These endeavors highlight and cultivate the campers' best attributes, promote goodwill, foster meaningful friendships, and build a robust sense of community. Ethical behavior and integrity are reinforced through these experiences, and have a long history. Many campers immerse themselves deeply in Rotary’s values and subsequently choose to join Rotary. Alumni frequently regard RYLA as a transformative experience that significantly influences their career paths, teamwork abilities, and the formation of lifelong friendships and support networks.
- Will be high school seniors in September 2025:
- Have demonstrated leadership potential in school, church, or community service.
- Have a strong desire to further develop their leadership abilities.
- Will actively contribute to making RYLA a meaningful experience for others.
- Are fully committed to attending RYLA in its entirety.
- Embody the principles of The Four-Way Test in their words and actions.
- Feb 1: Online Application available for Camp 2025
- April 1: (or before) Campers’ applications are made available to your local club.
- By May 1: Clubs vet applicants (Process is determined by the clubs and may involve interviews)
- By June 1: Selections and alternates are identified and notified.
- May/June: Orientation for campers
- July: RYLA Camps
- January - Submit Camper Scholarship Commitment form and scholarship funds to District RYLA Bookkeepe
- April – Outreach and Recruitment is complete, and selections made
- May – Notify selectees and alternates.
- May/June - Camper orientation
- July/August – Schedule Post-Camp Presentations
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