RYLA, short for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, is a leadership programme created by Rotary Clubs and districts, in which each participant can develop their own leadership skills while enjoying themselves. The programme is funded by the Rotary Foundation, which supports not only educational projects like this one but also humanitarian ones.
The Foundation covers grants for the professional training of younger generations, allowing clubs to put the fifth avenue of service into practice: "new generations".
RYLA was created in 1971 as an official Rotary International programme, with the goal of training younger generations according to leadership principles and Rotarian values.
The programme's ultimate goal is developing good communication and problem-solving skills, together with the ability to turn one's own motivation into concrete action.
RYLA events are organized locally by Rotary clubs and districts each year. Young people of any age can take part, generally between 14 and 30 years old, and can be sponsored by a Rotary club.