May is Youth Services Month

What Is your Rotary Club doing to focus on Youth Service in May 2026 and every month of the Rotary year? May is Youth Services Month when Rotary Clubs, around the world, and right here in District 7070, focus on youth services: Rotaract, Interact, RYLS (Rotary Youth Leadership Symposium), Youth Exchange and also in our District - Earlyact. Read more and see how YOU can help.....

 

Interact Awards  - Best Video form 2025 - The Interact Club of Kathmandu, Nepal, awarded "Best Video"

 
The 2025 Interact Awards invited Interactors to submit a 2-minute video that showcases how their Interact club unites for good and builds peace in the world. Over 350 Interact clubs participated, showcasing the ways Interactors promote meaningful and positive change within their communities and across the globe. Awarded “Best Video,” the Interact Club of Kathmandu, Nepal, took an intergenerational approach to peacebuilding. Through partnering with Rotaract and Rotary clubs, they reflected, “When we stand together, it becomes easier to create positive change." WATCH THE "BEST VIDEO"

 

Rotary Youth Exchange annual report
The 2024-25 Rotary Youth Exchange annual report has been published! It’s the third report since the in-person Rotary Youth Exchange program resumed after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participation in all levels of the program increased last year, from the number of students to the number of host families and other volunteers. These positive trends show the desire of Rotary and Rotaract club members around the world to continue building peace by enhancing cultural understanding and serving youth.   
 

Celebrate Youth Service Month

May is an annual opportunity for Rotary members and volunteers to celebrate the leadership growth and the service efforts of Rotary’s young leaders. Join us in honoring the local and global impact of the more than 350,000 young people worldwide who are involved in Rotary’s youth programs! Share your Youth Service Month celebrations on Instagram and tag us @RotaryYoungLeaders.
 
If you work with Rotary’s programs for young leaders regularly, it can be difficult to take a step back from your local programs and explore how the program works in areas around you, much less in other parts of the world! But that’s what we love to offer you: a glimpse of the scale of these programs, and examples of the most exciting efforts they’re making around the world. Take these inspirational stories and figures to your next club meeting, program orientation, or district conference, and show your community the wider world of Rotary’s youth programs.
 
 
Rotary International strives to create and maintain a safe environment for all youth who participate in Rotary activities. To the best of their ability, Rotary members, their partners, and other volunteers must safeguard the children and young people with whom they come into contact and protect them from physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.

Rotary International takes all youth protection allegations seriously. You can report any concern at any time by using the blue Report a Youth Protection Concern button on the Youth Protection page.
 
LEARN MORE
An introduction to Rotary Youth Exchange, RYLA, and Interact
Youth protection and Rotary International
Send questions and story ideas to youngleaders@rotary.org.

 

 

 

Rotaract:

It's a global movement of young leaders who are developing innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Rotaract clubs bring together people over 18 years of age, to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service. In communities worldwide, Rotary and Rotaract members work side by side to take action through service. From big cities to rural villages, Rotaract is changing communities like yours. Rotaract clubs decide how to organize and run their club, manage their own funds, and plan and carry out activities and service projects aligned with causes that are important to your community. Rotary club sponsors offer guidance and support and work with your club as partners in service. There are 9,522 Rotaract Clubs with 291,000 members in 177 countries.

Can your Rotary club sponsor a Rotaract club? YES ... Here is an idea... You may want to co-sponsor a Rotaract Club with another Rotary Club. 

Help young adults in your community develop leadership skills, build lasting friendships, and create positive change through Rotaract. Not only will Rotaract make a difference in their lives, it will also energize and inspire your Rotary club and connect you with enthusiastic and capable partners in service. If your university or community doesn’t already have a Rotaract club, you can start one. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

  • Your Rotary club to provide support and partnership

  • A faculty or sponsor club adviser to guide and mentor you

  • People over 18 years of age from your school or community who are interested in joining the club

  • Leaders to organize your club, find other members, and plan successful projects

Everything you need to organize, certify, and manage your club is in the Rotaract Handbook.

 

Interact:

You can take action, build international understanding, and make new friends around the world.

Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Find out how serious leadership can be seriously fun. Interact clubs organize at least two projects every year, one that helps their school or community and one that promotes international understanding. Rotary club sponsors mentor and guide Interactors as they carry out projects and develop leadership skills. There are 20,372 Interact Clubs with 468,000 members in 159 countries.

Can my Rotary club sponsor an Interact club? YES. ... Here is an idea... You may want to co-sponsor an Interact Club with another Rotary Club.

Empower young people in your community to take action, develop leadership skills, and gain a global perspective through Interact. Not only will Interact challenge them to reach their full potential, it will also energize and inspire your Rotary club while building connections in the community and around the world. If a school or community doesn’t already have an Interact club, you can start one. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

  • Your Rotary club to provide support and guidance

  • An adviser from your school’s faculty or a sponsor Rotary club to assist and mentor you

  • People ages 12-18 from your school or community who are interested in joining the club

  • Leaders to organize your club, find other members, and plan successful projects

Everything you need to organize, certify, and manage your club is in the Interact Guide for Rotary Club Sponsors and Advisers.

 

Earlyact

Earlyact can be done the same way for those youth in a primary aged school in your community. EarlyAct™ is a school-wide service club for elementary students from ages 5 to 13. It is sponsored by one of the local Rotary clubs in the township in which the school is located. The mission and operation of EarlyAct™ are closely linked to the ideals of Rotary and provide the foundation and natural succession into Interact. EarlyAct™ provides young students the opportunity for gaining an increased awareness and knowledge of their community and the world. At a young age, all students can easily be encouraged to be caring and helpful. Their minds are open to recognize the dignity and worth of each individual which builds respect for others. EarlyAct™ also engages students in character-building activities and prepares them for leadership roles to identify and carry out projects which benefit their school, local and global communities. Download the EarlyAct Student handbook in PDF format, click here.

Rotary’s programs are developing the next generation of leaders, providing funding to make the world a better place, and making peace a priority. And our programs are not just for club members. Learn how you can make a difference in your community through Rotary.

Rotary Peace Fellowships:

Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 professionals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at our Rotary Peace Centers. Learn more ›

 

Rotary Community Corps

Finding community solutions to community challenges, Rotary Community Corps unites Rotary members with nonmembers to make a positive difference. Learn more ›

 

Rotary Youth Leadership Symposium (RYLS)

RYLS (formerly called RYLA in our District )  is a leadership development program for young people who want to learn new skills, build their confidence, and have fun. Events range from one-day seminars to weeklong camps. Learn more ›

 

Rotary Youth Exchange

Rotary Youth Exchange builds peace one young person at a time. Students learn a new language, discover another culture, and truly become global citizens. Learn more ›

 

 

Grants

For 100 years, The Rotary Foundation has been turning project ideas into reality. Our clubs receive funding to support humanitarian projects, scholarships, and international exchanges. Learn more ›

 

Scholarships

Rotary invests more than $7 million a year in our future leaders and philanthropists by funding scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study.. Learn more ›

 

Rotary International and Past District Governor Mark Chipman, the Chair of the District 7070 Youth Services Committee is encouraging all clubs in District 7070 to undertake projects that support the fundamental needs of the youth who are our next generation of Rotarians— all young people  — by improving their life skills to ensure a better future, while recognizing the diversity of their needs.

Does your club have a plan?

Are you executing your own plan to create projects focused on Youth – our next generation of Rotarians?

 

Every day, you can CONNECT with the lives of young people. Not just in May, but every day in the Rotary Year.