Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) 2026
RYLA is a programme promoting youth leadership aimed at young aspiring leaders aged between 20-28. Since its inception in 1960, thousands of young people around the world have benefited from RYLA. Many have gone on to be outstanding leaders of their families, their businesses, and the communities in which they live.
The programme is focussed on:
It brings outstanding facilitators and inspirational leaders together to share their knowledge and modern leadership practices with participants (aka delegates) at a week-long live-in camp. It is not an “Outward Bound” experience, but there are physical aspects involved that are well within the reach of all young people with an average level of fitness.
Delegates need not be already in leadership roles but must have left school and must be aged between 20 and 28 years old in the year the programme they attend is held.
Each Rotary district in New Zealand conducts its own RYLA programme, usually once a year.
The next RYLA programme applicable to Rotary Clubs in District 9910 (Northland and Northern and Western parts of Auckland City) is being organised by the Browns Bay (Auckland) Rotary Club and will be held from Sunday 21 June to Saturday 27 June 2026 at the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education Centre (MERC), Long Bay, Auckland.
The attendance fee for each delegate is $1437 incl GST if paid by 31 December 2025, or $1518 incl GST if paid after that date but no later than 28 February 2026.
The Bay of Islands Rotary Club will pay half of the attendance fee for a suitable person, preferably, but not necessarily residing in the Southern Bay of Islands area to be its delegate at this programme.
Anyone wishing to be the club’s delegate must apply on the application form available from the 2026 programme organisers at www.rotarybrownsbay.org.nz. More information about the programme can also be obtained from this website. To access the information and the application form click on the RYLA-Rotary Youth Leadership Award tab and then click on RYLA Flier 2026 (for information) or RYLA Form 2026 (for the application form).
The form will need to be downloaded and completed by hand, then scanned and emailed to the club secretary at lynda.alesana@gmail.com no later than Friday 28th November 2025.
All applicants will be required to attend an interview with a small panel of club members at a date to be advised before being finally accepted as the club’s delegate.
