The applications for the Green Bay Rotary Club’s Youth Leadership Awards are now available, and the club hopes to sponsor up to 10 high schoolers from the Green Bay area.

The conference, also known as RYLA, is an “outdoor camp focused on youth leaders and also those that are developing leaders that could benefit from interacting with others that are like them,” explained Mr. Patrick George, a member of the club and father of NDA sophomore Michael George.

RYLA begins at noon on Friday, September 29, of this year and ends at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 1. Students will leave Green Bay at 7 a.m. on Friday and return around 5 p.m. on Sunday.

“I’ve been encouraging my freshmen to apply,” said English teacher Carolyn Brown.  “What an opportunity to work with other students and discover a lot about yourself.  I like to stress leadership, that my students are the leaders of the school.  Here is a chance to grow as a leader, and just by going through the selection process and interview students will grow as  leaders.”

The Rotary Club will provide transportation for all students, as the conference takes place at YMCA Camp Manito-wish in Boulder Junction, WI.

“Typically we are looking for current freshmen and sophomores, but do expand to juniors and seniors potentially,” shared Mr. George. 

The applications are due on Monday, May 15, and interviews will take place in late May. The applications can be found on the Rotary Club of Green Bay’s website. Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Danen and Mrs. Gast also have printed copies of the application.

Applicants should submit their completed application by emailing it to [email protected] or texting it to (920)-340-0095.

The Rotary Club says that the RYLA conference “provides a fun and valuable experience for those who meet the challenge to lead from their hearts.”

Participants of the conference will get a better understanding of leadership and ethics as well as build their self-esteem and their own leadership skills, said Mr. George.