Service: Youth

YOUTH SERVICE

Leadership is an essential aspect of Rotary — and we offer both clubs and programs to help emerging leaders develop their skills. Through these groups, participants strengthen their leadership skills, serve their communities, increase their world understanding, build friendships, and more.

Interact

Interact is a club for youth ages 12-18 who want to connect with others in their community or school. Interact club members have fun while carrying out service projects and learning about the world. Interact clubs organize at least two service projects a year: one that benefits their community and one that encourages international understanding. While Interact clubs receive guidance from individual Rotary clubs, they govern and support themselves.

Niles Rotary sponsors Interact clubs at Washington, Fremont Christian and Robertson high schools here in Fremont.

Rotaract

Rotaract brings together people ages 18-30 in universities and communities worldwide to organize service activities, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun. Rotary clubs sponsor them, but Rotaract members manage and fund their clubs independently. Rotaract members work closely with their local Rotary club, and may join after their Rotaract membership ends.

Joining Rotaract is more than just joining another service organization or business club — it’s joining an international family of young professionals and business professionals that spans over 160 different countries, with more than 1.2 million members. Rotaract is about empowering members to change the world with other great people that are just like family. Rotaract enables members to contribute to community service, work on international projects, continue developing their professional career through workshops and networking sessions, making friends with like-minded individuals.

Speech Contest / Scholarships

The Richard D. King Annual Youth Speech Contest is sponsored by all Rotary District 5170 clubs. The Niles Rotary Club of Fremont, the home club of Richard D. King, holds the yearly Youth Speech Contest for students from Washington, Fremont Christian, and Robertson high schools. All high school students in Rotary District 5170 are eligible to enter the speech contest in their affiliated Rotary club.

Each student may select their own topic which they feel is timely and of interest, and the speech must be the original work of the contestant. The content of their speech must relate to the Rotary International President’s theme for the year. This year’s competition addresses the 2018-2019 theme, “Be The Inspiration.” In addition to this theme, the speech must also illustrate how youth is able to reach out to others utilizing the Rotarian’s 4-Way Test:

• Is it the truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

The contest provides opportunities for the students to increase their personal knowledge and awareness of the importance of being able to speak effectively before a group. In addition, it provides an opportunity to increase public knowledge of what Rotary is and does throughout the world, especially among young people. Through this knowledge, we hope that they will learn, as we have in the past, “He who serves best profits most.”

Two finalists from each of our three sponsored schools will present their speeches at one of the Club’s weekly meetings. Community leaders — both Rotarians and non-Rotarians — act as judges, and financial prizes are award, with the hope that they will be used to further the student’s education. Criteria and guidance are provided to the students, including the annual theme, and constraints such as speech length, and any rules around what may be used or mentioned on stage. Judges are provided with evaluation criteria to be used during the competition. Club winners move on to the Area contest, and winners continue to move on to the Regional and District levels.

The Youth Speech Contest is a highlight for many Rotarians, in a variety of ways: they have the opportunity to hear the thoughts of today’s youth, to witness high-quality, engaging presentations, and to share in the accomplishments of students they know through their work with the on-campus organizations.

Students have the chance to address community leaders in a professional venue, while learning valuable skills that are needed across all types of careers and activities. This is a great opportunity for them to hone their speaking skills in a  friendly and competitive environment. Our goal as Rotarians is to recognize and support these young people that will become tomorrow’s leaders.

For more information, contact our Youth Speech Contest Chairperson.