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District 5030 Youth Programs
INTERACT IN DISTRICT 5030
Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people ages
14-18. The program gives young people an opportunity to participate in
fun, meaningful service projects while developing leadership skills and
meeting new friends.
Through service activities, Interactors learn the importance of:
Developing leadership skills and personal integrity;
Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others; and
Advancing international understanding and goodwill.
Current Club Contacts
Duvall, Cedarcrest High, ; Kent, Kentwood High School, Contact: ; Lake Forest Park, Shorecrest, ; Maple Valley, Tahoma High School, ; Mercer Island, Mercer Island High, ; Sammamish, Forest Ridge, ; Shoreline, Shorewood, ; Snoqualmie, Mt Si, ; Tukwila, Foster High School,
On December 10, 2007, the Foster High School Interact Club presented
the Tukwila Pantry with a check for $750. This represents monies from
the Club's fundraisers in 2007.
The Foster Interact Club, a service club dedicated to serving our
community, as well as the international community, agrees that no child
should have to go to school hungry, come home hungry, or go to bed
hungry. The members of the Club realize that despite this, the number
of families in poverty in Tukwila is growing. Fundamental to the very
concept of community is the belief that when a neighbor needs help, the
members of the community do their best. Foster Interact Club feels that
their check can help foster this concept.
This year's Interact Officers are President, Ella Petrasova; Vice
President, John Duot; Secretary, Stephanie Aragon; Treasurer, Elaine
O'Neil; Sergeant at Arms, Steviss Webb; and Board Member at Large, Alex
Griffin. Interact meets on Thursdays after school in Ms. Pike's room.
For more information about Interact, please contact or .
Interact
is Rotary International's service club for high school students. It is
an opportunity to make new friends, participate in community service,
and most importantly, have fun! Membership is not meant to be
restrictive; Interact does not have a quota of hours or attendance that
members must meet. If you are willing to help the community through
Interact's many activities, you're in!
Interact's executive board at Kentwood is comprised of its advisor, Ms.
Melissa York, and its officers, Chelsea Olson, Kurtis Evans, Isaac
Maucotel, Josh Kutterer, Alicia Reddy, Megan Limos, Katie Linscott, and
David Hough.
Meetings are held every other Thursday after school in room 154. Come
to hear about upcoming and ongoing fundraisers and community service
projects in which you might be interested. For additional information
about Interact Club, please contact Ms. York at , or visit room 154 before or after school.
Rotaract Clubs consist of women and men age 18-30 residing, employed or studying in the vicinity of the organizing Rotary Club. They are self-governed and largely self-financed at the local level. They work in cooperation with the sponsoring Rotary Club as partners in service. All Rotaract Clubs undertake three types of activities: professional development, leadership development and service. Each Rotaract Club has a Board consisting of a president, immediate past president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and other officers as deemed necessary. A club needs to have at least 15 members to be formed. All Rotaract Clubs operate under standard Rotaract Club Constitution prescribed by Rotary International.
Rotaract is described in Section 8 of the Rotary Manual of Procedure and Rotaract Handbook.
UWHS Rotaract Club Thailand Benefit Banquet and Auction
The UWHS Rotaract Club invites everyone to attend a banquet and auction fundraiser to support the McKean Rehabilitation Institute in Chiang Mai, Thailand. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be used to buy supplies for the McKean Institute and offset the costs of the international service trip to Thailand in the summer of 2009.
Medical services for patients with leprosy and physical disabilities The McKean Rehabilitation Institute provides medical assistance to leprosy patients and physically disabled, as well as providing support to integrate patients back into society. Patients can receive physical and occupational therapy, surgery, counseling, vocational training and socioeconomic assistance. The communities served by the McKean Institute learn to generate their own incomes and gain independence through gardening and nursery projects.
How Rotaract can serve the community The UWHS Rotaract club will be able to serve the hospital and its efforts by helping paint, prepare natural compost pits, garden, farm, package crafts and teach English. Along with the work that UWHS Rotaract will be able to complete, they will also support the Institute by purchasing necessary medical or agricultural supplies.
We appreciate your support
To support the UWHS Rotaract club in these efforts, please attend the Thailand Benefit Banquet and Silent Auction. Tickets are being sold for $50 each and can be purchased on the UWHS website with your credit (Visa, MC, Amex, Discover-through PayPal) or by completing and returning this ticket order for (PDF).
According to Rotary International, "Organizing a Rotaract Club is one
of the most rewarding activities a Rotary Club can undertake in its
community. The Rotaract program gives Rotarians the opportunity to
mentor dynamic young women and men interested in providing service to
their own communities as well as the global community. In turn, a
Rotaract Club can bring new energy to a Rotary Club, inspire fresh
ideas for service, increase support fro projects, and help develop
future Rotary Club members."
In District 5030, there are currently two active Rotaract and at least
two "phantom" clubs on the books at Rotary International. Given the
District's interest in growing membership and reducing the average age
of Rotarians along with the ongoing interest in service activities, it
is appropriate that District 5030 develop a plan for growing Rotaract
in the District.
Bellevue Community College Rotaract Participates in World Water Day, March 26
World Water Day on March 26th was inspiring and meaningful for
participating Bellevue Community College Rotaracters! People from all
communities and backgrounds gathered at Alki Beach to listen to guest
speakers about various experiences regarding lack of water in their own
countries. Like minds shared ideas, as we walked together. Members of
the BCC Rotaract Club, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bellevue, made
new friends from World Vision, Mercy Corps, and University of
Washington, all of whom have been involved in water projects across the
world. Some of these people also work with Rotary Club members.
Bellevue Rotary's Sister Club in Patan, Nepal, also hiked for World
Water Day.
The Rotaract Club of Seattle
is going strong with Rachel Theriot as President. The club has seen
growth over the last three months with nearly 10 new members, several
of whom are interested in joining the Board. On the downside, the club
Secretary stepped down recently when she moved out of the Seattle area.
Club members have participated in several volunteer events such as
Northwest Harvest and Earthcorps, packing food and cleaning Seattle
parks. Upcoming events this fall include volunteering at the Universtiy
District food bank, with West Seattle Rotary's holiday shopping spree,
and with the Initiative for Global Development. Schedules and photos of
events can be found on their website: www.seattlerotaract.org.
Rotaract Club of Bellevue Community College
The Rotaract Club of Bellevue Community College
is transitioning to a new President. Thanks to Jacob Peltier for a
great year, and welcome to Sergey Smirnov. The Bellevue Rotaract has
linked to Rotaracters in Nepal. There are 35 Rotarct clubs in that
Country and thanks to Bellevue Rotarian Rob Rose, the BCC Rotaract now
has a relationship with Nepal.
New Club Forming: Green River Community College
Thanks to the involvement of Josh Gerstman of the Kent Rotary
Club, a new club is forming in and around Green River Community
College. On June 27, Josh and Jibril Leigh had an organizational
meeting for a new club at Green River. There was information about the
Jessadi Village "Tesito" Primary School Project in Gambia. For more
details about this newly forming club contact .
Woodinville Area Club Possible
We have heard from the Woodinville Club that there is interest in
forming a club around Lake Washington VoTech. John Hughes of the
Woodinville Rotary Club is leading that effort. Both of these clubs
have the potential of being college and community based clubs so we are
looking for Rotary Clubs in those areas to join in and assist with
these efforts.
Interest in Highline Community College & Seattle University Clubs
District Governor Don Gregory also reports that there is interest
in a Rotaract Club at Highline Community College and Seattle
University. As more information is available, we may be looking for
Rotary Clubs in that area to help.
Thank you and congratulations to the 110 high school students from Western Washington and British Columbia who participated in the 39th edition of RYLA on March 6-9th, 2008, at PLU. RYLA is co-sponsored by Districts 5020 and 5030.
Participants experienced four intense days of presentations, workshops, interaction, team building, and fellowship related to leadership development. The RYLA program is comprised of a diverse group of speakers such as Shari Rusch, Albert Mensah, Doreen Cato, Bill Evans, Bill Robinson, Sue Westering, and Jack Butcher. RYLA participants are assigned to reaction groups at the beginning of the conference and meet during breaks to discuss speakers and experiences, culminating in presentations on Saturday Evening.
The RYLA committee thanks the extensive network of Rotarians and Clubs that support RYLA by sponsoring students, working through the logistics of getting the students to PLU, and for inviting the participants to speak at their clubs to share their experiences.
Stay tuned for pictures and testimonials from RYLA 08 and for details on the 2009 RYLA at PLU.
Since 1927, students and host families all
over the world have had their horizons broadened and their lives
enriched by the generosity of Rotary's Youth Exchange program.
Administered by Rotary clubs, districts and multidistrict groups, the
program today involves more than 82 countries and over 8,000 students
each year.
For more information on the Rotary Youth Exchange program, including information for applicants and host families, please visit the Rotary International website.
• • •
We are happy to share this wonderful opportunity with you. Whether you
are a student interested in going abroad, a family interested in
hosting a student from another culture, or a Rotarian willing to share
your time and talents, Rotary Youth Exchange is a chance for you to
make a difference in your own life, and a difference in the world.
The Summer (or Short Term) exchange program is also offered. In recent
years many local students have spent a major part of their summer
involved in a 'family to family' exchange. We match up interested
students with a counterpart student in another country (usually
Northern Hemisphere), and the two spend their summer together, about
four weeks in one students' home, and another four weeks at the
counterparts home across the globe!
Building relationships is what we do. We hope you'll join us.
Each year, local Rotary districts and clubs worldwide arrange
thousands of international Youth Exchanges for high school-aged
students. A primary goal of the program is to foster world
understanding by way of intercultural exchange. Short-term summer
exchanges average 3-4 weeks in each country. They take place when
school is not in session and involve a stay with a host family. Every
year approximately 7000 students ages 15 to 19 go abroad under the
auspices of the Rotary Youth Exchange program.
The increased self awareness and global perspective students derive
from the experience would not be possible without the commitment of the
many volunteer host families and the dedication of those Rotarians who
serve as Youth Exchange officers. In fact, this commitment and
enthusiasm is transferred to many exchange students who continue their
involvement after their exchange as members of ROTEX.
As a Rotary Youth Exchange summer student, you will spend 3-4 weeks
living with a host family in a country other than your own. You may
learn a new language; you will learn a new way of living and a great
deal about yourself. But there's more. While you are busy learning, the
people you meet will be learning as well - about your country, your
culture, and your ideas. You will be a young ambassador. You will be
helping to bring the world closer together — and you'll be making good
friends in the process.
If you are ready for the challenge and the rewards of living in another
land as an exchange student, then you are ready to discover new worlds
through Rotary's Youth Exchange program.
Countries we exchange with are Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Spain,
Belgium, Japan, Sweden, Mexico, and Denmark. If there's a country you
have in mind, let us know and we'll see what we can do.
Each year, Club Interviews are held at the end of October (or very
early in November), and District Interviews are scheduled for early
December. If you have missed the deadline for this year, please
consider applying during the next round!
During your exchange, you'll experience new feelings, realizations,
thoughts, and observations while creating new memories. A journal is a
great place to document them all. If you're thinking, “I don't like to
write–I'll just remember everything and tell everyone when I return,”
you should understand that this is nearly impossible, given that you'll
be full of new information and experiences.
Things to consider:
Pick a journal that works for you. If your handwriting is big, choose a large one.
Store your journal in a plastic bag.
Write in your contact information.
Purchase a durable journal.
Your journal is your own space for writing down your reflections,
observations, and thoughts. If you're artistic, bring along art
supplies, and draw or paint your experiences. You can also glue in
tickets, photos, and other items from your exchange to personalize your
journal.
Have you been looking for a way to recognize your students when they finish the Youth Exchange program? If so, we have good news!
Rotary International is happy to announce that a certificate of achievement and appreciation is available for purchase. Please note that the certificates, available in packs of 10 for US$7, will be updated each July to include the new RI president’s signature.
Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people ages
14-18. The program gives young people an opportunity to participate in
fun, meaningful service projects while developing leadership skills and
meeting new friends.
Rotaract Clubs consist of women and men age 18-30 residing, employed or studying in the vicinity of the organizing Rotary Club. They are self-governed and largely self-financed at the local level. They work in cooperation with the sponsoring Rotary Club as partners in service. All Rotaract Clubs undertake three types of activities: professional development, leadership development and service. Each Rotaract Club has a Board consisting of a president, immediate past president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and other officers as deemed necessary. A club needs to have at least 15 members to be formed. All Rotaract Clubs operate under standard Rotaract Club Constitution prescribed by Rotary International.
Have you been looking for a way to recognize your students when they finish the Youth Exchange program? If so, we have good news!