Carbon Valley youth learning to lead

As part of their effort to encourage and foster the ideal of service, the Carbon Valley Rotary Club is reaching out to the local youth.
    For years, they have sponsored two students from the tri-town area to take part in the Rocky Mountain Young Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. This year, with the help of a local donation, Lexie Bowman, of Carbon Valley Academy, and Nathan Putallaz, of Coal Ridge Middle School, were able to attend the five-day camp conference.

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experience at the Rocky Mountain Young Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. The Rotary Club sends two students each year at a cost of $400 per student.

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    The Young RYLA is a leadership training program that is sponsored by Rotary International. Each year, 120 participants head to the camp at the Pondorosa Retreat and Conference Center in Larkspur, Colo. to help middle school kids build confidence and leadership skills.
    “This is a great program,” said Beverly Mendel, former CVRC president. “Carbon Valley Rotary’s long term vision is to make a positive impact on our community, with a special focus on youth.”
    According to her, by partnering with Young RYLA, they can help impart ethics, leadership skills and a heart for service to area youth. If they can do this, said Mendel, it would make a positive impact for years to come.
    “Hopefully some of the students that attend YRYLA will become Rotary members as adults,” she added.
    For Bowman, a student at Carbon Valley Academy, the conference was an incredible experience. At their Nov. 23 meeting, Bowman presented what she learned from the conference to the Carbon Valley Rotary members and described her time there as the best of her life.
    Students participated in “trust” exercises like falling back into their team’s arms. According to Mendel, they also shared emotions and found they are not alone dealing with issues, such as divorced families or bullying at school.
    The CVRC sends two students each year to the Young RYLA camp at a cost of $400 per student. According to Mendel, this pays for all the costs except for travel to and from the camp.
    This year, Dan Salda, O&M manager at Ivenergy LLC in Littleton gave the Carbon Valley Rotary Club $800 to send students to the yearly conference.
    According to Mendel, Salda said he would be interested in providing another sponsorship for the Rotary’s 2011.
    Students come from all over Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Western Nebraska. During their stay, students share ideas about becoming better leaders through activities such as problem solving games, a challenge course, zip line, skits, group discussions and teambuilding.
    The zip line, though it was really scary, was Bowman’s favorite activity in the camp. Besides that, after not knowing anyone else attending the conference, Bowman left with strengthened leadership skills and friendships with kids all over the West.
    “The students are truly changed when they come back from the camp,” said Mendel. “Their family, friends and teachers see the changes and it gives a good impression not only for the camp, but for our Rotary club locally and nationally.”
    The camp is open to any current seventh graders. Carbon Valley students can apply for Young RYLA online at www.rmryla.org/about_young_ryla.html starting in January.
    Mendel said the CVRC hopes to have more students apply for consideration for the next Young RYLA, which is scheduled for July 31 to Aug. 5.
    According to Mendel, if there are more than two students vying to participate in the program, the CVRC might be able to find funding from another Rotary club.
    For information about the Carbon Valley Rotary Club, visit www.carbonvalleyrotary.org. For information about Rotary Youth Leadership Awards or Young Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, visit www.rmryla.org.