Youth Service

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Youth Service

All clubs are encouraged to undertake projects that support the fundamental needs of young people up to the age of 30: health, human values, education and self development. The Rotary Club of St Ives is actively involved in a wide range of youth programs.

Youth Exchange enables students, aged 16 to 18 years to travel overseas for one year, as the guest of a Rotary club. Students are selected by a rigorous process, to assess their ability to benefit from the exchange and to act as an ambassador for Rotary and Australia. During the exchange, the student is hosted by members of the particular Rotary club, usually for about three months each, so the student gets to stay with four different families. The student is expected to attend a local high school, go to Rotary meetings, give talks on their home country, keep in touch with their sponsoring club and, on return, tell that club all about the exchange. 

To find out more about Youth Exchange, click on the link belows.

http://rotarynews.info/3/District/9680/407/

http://rotarnet.com.au/users/y/youth_exchange/

A short video of one students youth exchange year.

In July 2009 we hosted Gabriel Serpa.

Gabriel  Serpa arrived in Sydney in January 2009. Gabriel was hosted by the Rotary club of Waitara for six months and will be hosted by our club for the remaining six months.

Gabriel lives in Sao Paulo and is a keen supporter of the local football club.

Gabriel recently returned from the annual Safari which is  always a highlight of the Youth Exchange programme and this year was no exception. On May 13th Gabriel regaled us with his talk on the safari.  The students left Newcastle on the Sunday of the District Conference for three weeks of touring such places as the Great Ocean Road, Coober Pedy,Uluru and the Gold Coast .

The students fossicked for opals and, in the Red Centre they flew over Uluru in a helicopter, rode camels (which Gabriel didn’t believe existed in Australia) and visited the Flying Doctor Service. They also had a go at playing the didgeridoo and “playing” with snakes and other reptiles!

Gabriel is 18 and has lived in San Paulo, a city of 15 million people since birth. In his spare time Gabriel likes to play  the guitar, he likes music and  going to the theatre, as well as playing soccer and practicing capoeira, an African-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, games, music and dance which was created in Brazil.

Gabriel is currentley attending Turramurra High and is being hosted by Paul Wynn from Gladesville Rotary Club. John & Robin Steel were his host parents from October until his return to Brazil in January 2010.

Deirdre Agnew is his club counsellor.

We enjoyed hosting Gabriel and learning about Brazil.

Quote from  a former Youth Exchange Student - Christina

"The year abroad is so different for every student. It is unique and unforgettable, and it is something that could never be fully conveyed in its proper context to anyone. No one can understand what you went through because no one knows the background that you brought to your experience. Similarly, no one can come out of your experience the way you did." 

Outbound Youth Exchange for 2009 is  student Sally Willmott. Sally has recently returned from Brazil. Sally will visit our club on the 10th March 2010 and regale us with her year as a student abroad.

To find out more about Sally you can go to our Waratah issue 4th March, which can be found in the archives. Sally will be updating us as her year in Brazil progresses, so check out the later editions of our bulletin.

Youth Exchange Inbound for 2008

Youth Exchange Student Doriane from France is welcomed at the airport by John and Robin Steel in July 2008.

                                                                                                        View Larger Map

Doriane comes from Payrac a small village in the Canton of Payrac in the region of Midi-Pyrenees.

Outbound Youth Exchange Student Michael Steel went to Finland. He left in January 2008 and returned in January 2009.

Michael addressed the club on his return from Finland. Michael had a wonderful time in Finland and is looking forward to returning there in the near future.

In July 2007 the club welcomed Eevamari Lehtonen from Finland

 In 2006/2007, the club hosted Johnathon von Gutzeit from Austria and sent a local young student, Edward Grey to Austria.

Students are asked to select three countries they would like to exchange with.

Both Ed and Jonathan are very musical, both had a fantastic journey on Youth Exchange.

  Ed Grey        Jonathon von Gutzeit

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is for young people who have finished school, are between 18 and 26 and are working in industry or commerce or other areas as a career. They may also hold leadership positions in the community. They are given the opportunity to develop their leadership skills by attending a one week course at Vision Valley, Arcadia. This course, held each year in January, has qualified instructors and consists of lectures on relevant topics and lots of fun for the attendees. There are usually two students selected by the Club to attend this course.

Applications RYLA

If you are interested, or know someone who may be interested in attending this leadership course. Please contact us. Applications are due in by the end of September each year.

Interact is a high school based organisation, established to introduce Rotary concepts to 14 to 18-year-olds. The St Ives Interact Club was chartered on 8 December 1979 with twenty-five members. The club, whose membership fluctuates in the fifteen to twenty range, carries out a wide range of community projects.

Rotaract is an organisation, for 18 to 30-year-olds, again with similar objects to Rotary. The Rotaract Club of St Ives was chartered on 16 December 1969 with thirty-one members, including several sons and daughters of Rotarians. The St. Ives Rotaract club now has around 20 members.

There is a seperate section on Rotaract in the menu. 

Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) gives high school students an opportunity to develop an awareness of the United Nations and the countries they represent at this simulated UN Assembly. They address and debate problems and issues of international concern. Clubs sponsor teams from high schools who each represent a UN country.

National Youth Science Forum (NYSE) is a two week experience for year 11 students who have a strong interest in a career in a scientific field. It is held at the ANU in Canberra.

Speakers cover various scientific fields and the attendees go on field trips in the Canberra area. Applications come from all over Australia – only a very few applicants are selected to attend. Applications are to be received by District at the end of June each year.

 http://www.nysf.edu.au/rotary/welcome

Our District is 9680, on opening the link you will need to go to the drop down box and click on 9680.

In 2009 our club was successful in nominating two students Cameron Brown and Joshua Lee, both students at Knox Grammar in Wahroonga.

Cameron attended the NYSF program in Perth in January 2010 and Joshua went to Canberra in January 2010.

The National Youth Science Program has grown from previous years and more places have opened up this year, hence the program running in Perth.

Joshua Lee on the left with Cameron Brown taken at the Orientation evening.

We wish both students all the best with their scientific careers.

Hands on experience for Joshua whilst in Canberra  2010

Honeywell Engineering Summer School (HESS)

Is an initiative supported by Honeywell Engineers Australia- Sydney Division, NSW 'Engineering' Universities and participating Rotary Districts. The Honeywell Engineering Summer School is in its eleventh session and the aim is to give high school students a better understanding of what engineering is and how it works in every day life.

Students will meet and interact with professional engineers employed by government, private companies, researchers and academics in a wide range of engineering disciplines.

Participants will learn about the role of Professional Engineers in society and different disciplines within engineering including: Aeronautical, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Environmental, Electrical, Computer, Mechanical, Mining and Mechatronic.

http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/shadomx/apps/fms/fmsdownload.cfm?file_uuid=0A138DD0-CA99-C12A-E078-50EFAD2456E9&siteName=ieaust

Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) aims to give High School students of year 11, an insight into the hazards, problems and pitfalls of driving. Professional speakers, including the Police, cover a range of topics associated with potential problems and costs of owning and driving a motor vehicle. Our Club actively supports attendance by the St Ives High School, Brigidine College and other local high schools. It is held at the Honda Driver Training Course in St Ives.

Click on the link below to find out more about RYDA.

http://www.ryda.org.au/

Science and Engineering Challenge

A set of fun and competitive activities involving principles of science, engineering and technology to immediately engage students with a mimnimum of introduction and theory. Schools provide a team of 24-32 year 10 students to participate in  a day long activity at one of the local universities.

For more information go to http://www.newcastle.edu.au/group/challenge/