Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: I’m interested in RYLA! How do I apply?
- A: In order to attend RYLA, students must be “sponsored” by their local Rotary Club. The selection process usually begins with an application, followed by student interviews, usually held during February and March, however some Rotary clubs do have earlier deadlines. An announcement calling for applicants may be posted in the local newspaper, on social media, your Rotary club's website, and/or in local high schools. If you are interested in applying for RYLA and you haven't yet seen an announcement about it, check with your high school guidance office or contact your local Rotary Club. (If you're not sure how to reach them, Contact Us.)
- Q: Who pays for RYLA, and how much does it cost?
- A: The sponsoring Rotary club pays $325 per student attendee. This includes your food, lodging, session materials and a RYLA t-shirt for each day at RYLA.
- Q: Who is my Sponsoring Rotary Club, and how do I contact them?
- A: If you got a congratulatory letter saying you were selected for RYLA, it probably came from your Sponsoring Rotary Club. Look for the Rotary Club name and contact info on that letter. If you didn’t get a letter, ask the person you got your original application from.
- Q: What is an Attendee? What is an Alternate?
- A: An ATTENDEE is a student who has been selected to attend RYLA. Each Rotary club decides in advance how many students they will sponsor, and pays for that number of students in advance. After interviewing the candidates, the Rotary club (or a guidance department acting on their behalf) will select that number of students from all qualified applicants, to be “Attendees”. The sponsor club may also designate any number of ALTERNATE candidates, just in case one of their selected Attendees decides at the last minute they cannot attend the RYLA conference, leaving an open slot that has already been paid for. When this happens —there are usually a handful of these each year— an “Alternate” will be invited to fill the opening.
- Q: Why must Alternates go to the effort of completing Online Registration, even though they might not attend RYLA?
- A: All Alternates must be correctly and fully registered, and their signed paperwork must be submitted by the deadline, just as if they were a selected Attendee. This ensures that their paperwork is all in place and we can slot students in at the last moment, if an opening becomes available.
- Q: What should I do if I notice an error in my Registration Data?
- A: Send an email to reg-info-change@ryla7910.org with a description of what needs to be changed. It’s important that your information be corrected prior to the RYLA Conference.
- Q: What should I do if my “school-out date” falls DURING or AFTER the RYLA Conference?
- A: We suggest:
1) Ask your school/teachers if you can miss that day (with a note from a parent).
2) If you are scheduled for an exam, ask if you can take the exam in advance.
If the school is unable to accommodate these requests, you should contact the District 7910 RYLA Committee Chair to discuss other possible solutions. - Q: What really happens at RYLA?
- A: While we can't share the details of the sessions or programs with you before hand (it's a surprise!), we can tell you some basic information. The About RYLA page provides a general overview. Additional details are noted in the answers below.
- Q: What are the daily schedules like?
- A: Each scheduled day will be filled with activities! A bit more information will be shared in June.
- Q: What do participants wear at RYLA?
- A: All participants will wear a RYLA T-shirt, their name badge, and the bottoms of their choice each day. Note: some sessions involve movement and some sessions may involve sitting/doing an activity on the floor.
- Q: What do I need to bring?
- A: Please see the Gear List.
- Q: Will we be sitting in a classroom all the time?
- A: No! Sessions are:
- experiential
- physical
- mental
- small group(6-7)
- big group (about 75)
- facilitated, not instructed
- fun!
- Q: What will I learn about?”
- A:
-
- leadership
- self discovery
- peers
- group dynamics
- and more
- Q: How many students are in my group?
- A: There are about 6 or 7 students in each group or team.
- Q: Do I get to choose who I’m in a group with?
- A: No, students do NOT get to choose their group-mates. We intentionally separate students from the same school.
- Q: What if my parent/guardian can't drive me there or pick me up?
- A: Contact your sponsoring Rotary club. They can either connect you with another student that will be attending or they can help to faciltiate a ride-share.
- We will try to pair some students together from the same town to facilitate carpooling.
- Q: Do I get to choose who I room overnight with?
- A: No, students are assigned rooms with same gender participants. We endeavor to pair you with RYLAns from different towns or schools.
- Q: How do I find out more about Rotary?
- A: Most RYLA students visit their local Rotary clubs BEFORE they attend RYLA. Contact your sponsoring Rotary club for more info.
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