Cerveny attends Rotary RYLA Academy

Hilary Cerveny, Westran High School, recently attended the Missouri Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Acaademy at William Woods University in Fulton.

At the Missouri RYLA Academy participants were immersed in a service leadership curriculum that included team-building activities, activities that encourage an awareness of community, national and global needs and the development of a simulated community service project. Approximately 100 students from across the state of Missouri participate, under the mentorship of a staff of professional educators and Rotarian volunteers.

Huntsville Rotary Club sponsored Hilary’s participation in the three and a half day experience for incoming and outgoing high school sophomores.

“RYLA’s focus this summer was teaching the students how to administer a service project using hunger as a sample social problem to address,” said Valerie Anderson, director of the Missouri RYLA Academy. “The skills they have developed, however, are applicable to any sort of service project management.”

“The Missouri RYLA Academy has been amazing!” said Hilary. “I met so many great people and learned to trust them and become a team.”

RYLA is one of several youth programs supported by Rotary International and has been in existence for over 40 years. Each year, thousands of young people take part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program worldwide. The aim of the program is to:

• Demonstrate Rotary’s respect and concern for youth,

• Provide an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders,

• Encourage leadership of youth by youth, and

• Publicly recognize young people who are rendering service to their communities.

RYLA is one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service.

The Missour RYLA Academy has been in existence for over a decade and is one of the most unique and effective programs internationally. It is the only multi-Rotary district RYLA program in the world and is one of the only programs integrating service leadership as the primary focus of its curriculum.