SEPTEMBER 2024
Youth Engagement Council Newsletter
is your interact club registered for
2024-2025? You must register every year!
District 7950 is implementing a mandatory annual registration policy for each Interact Club identified in My Rotary as ACTIVE. This policy is to ensure advisors and students are insured under the umbrella of Rotary International’s general liability insurance policy. If Interact Clubs are not registered with current information, including the advisor’s name and contact information, the Interact Club will not be covered by RI per the organization’s policy. CLICK HERE for Document on Registering your Interact Club. *Please note our District Committee will get the District Governor signature needed for the form - clubs do not have to do that*
You can follow them on Instagram @ ths.interact
'Coins for Cambodia Project"
‘Coins for Cambodia’ it’s a great idea that the members of the Interact Club a few years back upon hearing about the Rotary supported efforts of the non-profit Water for Cambodia came up on their own so as to be able to support those efforts. Basically once or twice during the school year they place empty water/milk gallon containers in many of the classrooms at Taunton High School with signage asking students to drops coins to support them in raising monies to fund new water filter systems in Cambodia. The initiative has been a great success not only raising awareness among the THS student body of the clean water efforts underway in Cambodia but also about the Interact Club and in turn Rotary.
DISTRICT Youth COUNCIL UPDATES
Our Interact District Council members will be involved with both their peers and our District Youth Engagement team in developing, teaching, supporting and leading selfless responsible and challenging actions, that will create positive social change in our communities and around the world.
We encourage all Interact Clubs to participate by either electing or appointing a Junior and a Senior this year to be on the District Student Youth Council. Next year the Senior will graduate, the Junior will move up and 1 new Junior will need to be added each year going forward.The first meeting is via Zoom on October 27th at 5pm. Meetings are monthly, one hour, via zoom. There will be two in person social gatherings during the school year. This is a great way to connect students from different schools and communities. The goal of the District Student Youth Council is to work itself into a student led discussion and action group based on the students perceptions of the needs and circumstances of their communities and the world around them. We look forward to meeting your students!
The first meeting of the council is scheduled for Oct 27th at 5pm on zoom. Please contact Stephanie(email below) for the info to join this meeting.
If you would like more info on the Youth Council - please reach out to Stephanie Burke at stephanie@mvseacoast.com
YOUTH EXCHANGE
Youth Exchange Update:
Paul Steyer (17) from France and Maria Ricardo (17) from Columbia are spending the current school year on Martha's VIneyard. A few weeks ago, Paul was invited to go on a whale watch off Plymouth with a Rotarian, her daughter and several photographer friends which turned out to be a full day and very rewarding! He is running with the Martha's Vineyard High School Cross Country Team and doing extremely well.
Pictured below is Paul - this was taken as he stepped out of the customs area when he arrived.
Maria has not settled on an activity yet but has a few things in mind. She is settling into school nicely and happy with her host family. Both Maria and Paul are making friends and slowly but surely becoming part of the school and island community. Orientation for inbound students is this coming weekend at Camp Rotary in Boxford MA where they will meet, work and play with 18 youth exchange students from a number of districts, 2 Rotex students a staff of Rotarians.
This is always an event that we get great feedback on as they share their interests, their cultures, their (travel) experiences to date and have a chance to collaborate on leadership activities together as a group. We look forward to hearing what they have to say when they return on Sunday!
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs and districts where you develop your skills as a leader while having fun and making connections. RYLA is tentatively set for May 16-18, 2025.
We are looking for Rotarians to join this subcommittee - if you would like more info please email Lew Gordon at lew.gordon77@gmail.com
What a great Leadership Zoom Call on Sept 12th! Thank you to all who joined us.
If you have any follow up questions or need help with anything Youth Program related please feel free to reach out to our committee.
The Youth Engagement Council is developing a calendar of virtual meetings to offer topic specific webinars to anyone who is interested in learning more about our Youth Programs. Tentative titles to be covered: RYLA, Youth Exchange, Youth Protection and Introducing the New Workbook and Awards Program, PR/Marketing Your Youth Club, How to Start a Youth Club, etc. The sessions will be an hour and leave time for Q & A.
Our committee is so excited to see our Rotarian’s interest in youth programs! To get involved or for more information, please contact Diane at diane.cloutier@scouting.org.
Our next zoom is going to be October 21st at 6pm-7pm - - Topic of discussion - Marketing your Youth Club
October 30th - November 5th — World Interact Day (World Interact Week is celebrated Monday through Sunday during the week of 5 November, Interact’s anniversary.)
November 13th - 6pm - Monthly Youth Call - RYLA Zoom *learn all the info for this years RYLA.
December 1st — Interact Video Awards submissions due
May — Youth Service Month
May 17th - Rotary Day of Service
May 30th - June 1st - District Conference
August 15th — Reports due for the Rotary Citation for Interact Clubs
Reach out to us - Contact Youth Engagement Council Chair
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