THE ROTARY CLUB OF BANBRIDGE
Youth Opportunities
Projects for 2009 - 2010
Literacy Project
Dictionaries4Life is an excellent project which made its introduction in Ireland last year - more detail in our Communities page.
Youth Development and Leadership Competition
In 2009 for
the seventh time in all, Banbridge
had a representative on the Euroscolar programme when Conal O'Hare joined
the Irish contingent in Strasbourg. . I wonder how many Rotary clubs can
boast that - an excellent statement for the quality of education offered in our
town. Indeed Conal has since been invited to address District Council - that's
the all Ireland Rotary forum - and relate the experiences of the visit.
This is one of the most prized competitions for young people on this island, and is explained in more detail further down this page. The competition is intended to search out and develop our next generation's leaders, and to this end it has been an outstanding success.
This club has facilitated local participants in Rotary's Youth Leadership Competition since its inception and did so again last year. Entries are invited from local schools and youth organisations, and entrants will be interviewed in Stage One, with one representative per organisation progressing to area finals. In Ireland last year approximately 4000 young people were interviewed from nearly every club, and 24 travelled to Strasbourg via eight regional finals.
The reputation of the Irish students attending the Euroscola previously has been wonderful. The standard of one group in recent years caused an EU Official to say " today in the European Parliament Ireland is a Superpower".
The Euroscolar Programme is best thought of as Students’ Open day. 2008-09 was its 17th year. It is aimed at local schools and youth groups with young people in the age range of 15-19 and the final numbers must include some who are disabled or disadvantaged.
12 countries usually participate, each sending approximately 24 young people.
Each group is introduced to the European parliament by its Chairperson, which would be onerous enough without the proviso that it cannot be done in the student’s mother tongue!
Rotary in Ireland has long considered this competition to be its flagship in
Youth Opportunities and our 2800 Rotarians are rightly proud of our representatives
in Strasbourg.
Why not join in next year?
For the young the ideals of
Rotary can be experienced first hand by joining Interact or Rotaract. If you are
interested in knowing more, please use the contact link on our home page.
Mock Interviews
These are seen by schools to be an excellent means of developing the interview
skills of school leavers, and Rotarians give up a little time to provide the
interviewing skills.
INTERACT
Interact is Rotary International's service club for young people ages 14-18.
Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support
and guidance, but Interact clubs are self-governing and self-supporting.
Club membership varies greatly. Clubs can be single-gender or mixed, as well as large and small. The membership base can be drawn from the student body of a single school or from two or more schools from the same community.
If you would like to know more contact us via our Home page.
ROTARACT
Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18 to
30. Rotaract clubs are usually community-based or university-based and are
sponsored by a local Rotary club making them true "partners in
service" and key members of the Rotary family.
Through the Rotaract program, young adults not only augment their knowledge and skills, but they also address the physical and social needs of their communities while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service.
If you would like to know more contact us via our Home page.