Youth Programs

RYPEN: Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment

Communication | Confidence | Commitment

RYPEN is more than a weekend camp. It is a challenge, an invitation to step outside your comfort zone and discover capabilities you did not know you had. For three days, high school students from across District 9660 come together to participate in activities designed to build life skills, foster teamwork and develop personal confidence.

What makes RYPEN transformational is not just what happens during the weekend, but what participants carry with them afterwards. The confidence to speak up in class. The courage to try something new. The understanding that growth happens when we push past what feels safe and familiar.

What Happens at RYPEN

The weekend is carefully structured to balance challenge with support, individual reflection with team collaboration:

• Team building activities that require communication, problem-solving and creative thinking
• Personal development sessions focused on confidence, resilience and self-awareness
• Leadership challenges where participants discover their strengths and learn to support others
• Wide games and outdoor activities that push physical and mental boundaries in a safe environment
• Reflection and goal-setting to help participants translate experiences into lasting change
• Connection with peers from across the district who become lifelong friends and support networks

The RYPEN Philosophy

We ask participants to move out of their comfort zone deliberately. A comfort zone is a psychological state where a person feels safe and unchallenged. While comfort zones provide ease, they also prevent growth. RYPEN creates a supportive environment where stepping beyond the familiar becomes possible, even exciting.

Participants are expected to get involved, share thoughts freely, remain motivated and positive, use creativity, work as a team and, most importantly, have fun while being challenged. The weekend follows a full schedule, with activities running from early morning until lights out, ensuring every moment contributes to growth and connection.

Safety and Support

Rotary places the safety of young people as its highest priority. RYPEN maintains a high staff-to-participant ratio, with all leaders holding Working with Children checks, CPR and First Aid qualifications. The leadership team includes young Rotarians and experienced volunteers who understand both the challenges teenagers face and the importance of creating a safe, supportive space for growth.

The camp is drug-free, alcohol-free and smoke-free, with clear expectations around behaviour and respect. Participants remain on site for the entire weekend, creating an immersive experience free from everyday distractions.

RYPEN Details

Who: High school students (Years 7-11)

When: Annual weekend camp (typically June & October)

Duration: 3 days, 2 nights

Cost: Subsidised by sponsoring Rotary clubs

Contact: rypend9660@gmail.com

How to Participate

For Students: Contact your local Rotary club or school to express interest

For Clubs: Sponsor a student from your community

What Participants Say

“RYPEN pushed me way outside my comfort zone, but in the best way possible. I learned I could do things I never thought I could, and I made friends who really get me. Going back to school after RYPEN, I felt different. More confident. More capable.”

— RYPEN Participant, 2024

Rous RotaKids: Rotary Values in Primary Schools

Rous Public School, sponsored by District 9660 Online Rotary Club (formerly E-Club D9650)

RotaKids brings Rotary’s values of service, integrity and leadership development into primary schools, giving young children the opportunity to make a real difference in their communities. It is Rotary scaled to primary school age, where children learn that they have the power to help others and improve the world around them.

In 2022, the District 9660 Online Rotary Club (then known as E-Club D9650) chartered the RotaKids club at Rous Public School, marking a significant milestone in youth engagement. This partnership demonstrates how an online Rotary club can have tangible, local impact by supporting schools and young people in their community.

What RotaKids Offers

RotaKids clubs operate within primary schools, typically for students in Years 5 and 6. Through regular meetings and projects, children learn:

• Service above self: Planning and delivering community service projects that make a genuine difference
• Leadership skills: Taking on roles such as president, secretary and treasurer, learning how organisations function
• Teamwork and collaboration: Working together to achieve shared goals and support one another
• Civic responsibility: Understanding their role in the community and how they can contribute positively
• Project management: Planning activities, managing budgets and seeing projects through from idea to completion
• Public speaking and confidence: Presenting ideas, reporting on projects and representing their club

The Rous Public School Partnership

Our sponsorship of the RotaKids club at Rous Public School reflects our commitment to local youth development despite being an online club. The partnership provides students with structured opportunities for service and leadership, while connecting them to the broader Rotary family and values.

The children at Rous Public School have embraced the RotaKids program, taking ownership of projects and demonstrating that age is no barrier to making a positive impact. From fundraising for causes they care about to organising school and community events, these young Rotarians show what is possible when children are given the opportunity and support to lead.

Long-Term Impact

RotaKids plants seeds that grow throughout a lifetime. Children who participate often develop a sustained commitment to community service. Many go on to join Interact and Rotaract in high school and university, eventually becoming Rotarians themselves. The program creates a pathway of service that can span decades.

More immediately, RotaKids gives children confidence, purpose and a sense of agency. They learn that their ideas matter, their actions create change, and their contributions have value. These lessons shape character and build the foundation for engaged, responsible citizenship.

RotaKids at Rous

School: Rous Public School

Chartered: 2022

Sponsor Club: District 9660 Online Rotary Club (formerly E-Club D9650)

Age Group: Primary school students (typically Years 5-6)

Focus: Community service, leadership development, Rotary values

About RotaKids

RotaKids is a global Rotary program operating in primary schools worldwide. Clubs are sponsored by local Rotary clubs who provide support, mentorship and resources to help young people develop leadership skills and make a positive impact in their communities.

Interested in RotaKids?

Schools: Contact us to explore sponsoring a RotaKids club at your school

Rotary Clubs: We can help you establish RotaKids clubs in your local primary schools

Other Youth Programs

District 9660 supports a comprehensive portfolio of youth programs, each addressing different ages, interests and development needs:

Why Youth Development Matters

Investment in young people creates compound returns. A teenager who discovers confidence at RYPEN becomes an adult who leads with courage. A primary school student who learns service through RotaKids becomes a citizen who contributes throughout their lifetime. A young person exposed to science through NYSF might become the researcher who solves critical challenges.

Youth programs also benefit the broader community immediately. Young people bring energy, fresh perspectives and genuine enthusiasm to community challenges. They are not just preparing for future leadership, they are leading now, in their schools, families and communities.

For Rotary clubs, supporting youth programs fulfils our commitment to develop future leaders while creating meaningful intergenerational connections. The young people we support today become the Rotarians, community leaders and change-makers of tomorrow.

Support Youth Development

Whether sponsoring a student, volunteering as a leader, or contributing financially, there are many ways to support youth programs that change lives.