Youth Night November 24

Youth Report 2024-25

The Rotary Club of West Pennant Hills and Cherrybrook (WPH&C) has a long and active engagement with District 9685 Youth programs. This commitment continued in the 2024-25 Rotary year and saw the Club support:

• Youth Nights – Youth Nights were held in November 2024 and March 2025 with the aim of initially preparing students to undertake District 9685 programs and then hearing back from students on their experiences. Importantly these nights serve as opportunities for parents and friends of the students to learn more about Rotary and our Club.  This ties in strongly to the rationale behind Fit-for-Purpose in engaging more actively with the wider community and potentially generating new members.

• Rotary Youth Exchange Program (RYEP) – the club hosted Elise from France as our inbound student, while Georgia was sponsored as the Club’s outbound student to Chile.  The Club’s Youth Director is an active member of the District RYEP committee and is Coordinator for both the Hills and Riverside clusters.

• Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) – Chloe was due to attend this course but withdrew as she was awarded a University Scholarship in Switzerland at the time the course was scheduled; her application has been held over for RYLA 2026

• National Leadership Forum (NLF) – Chloe was sponsored to attend this program at Parliament House in August 2024. While not a District 9685 dedicated program, this Canberra based forum, organised and conducted by Federal parliamentarians including Julian Lesser, has merit and kudos.  This is the first time we ventured into this program, which we did by coordinating and collaborating with seven other Rotary Clubs in our RCG.

• National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) – Rosie from Cheltenham Girls High School attended this weeklong program at the Australian National University in January 2025.

• The Science Experience – Maggie, Cheyene and Annika from Coonabarabran High School completed the three-day course at Macquarie University in October 2024. Working in collaboration with our sister Rotary Club of Coonabarabran and the Science Department of Coonabarabran High School we brought these three students to Sydney to participate in this fun and informative program. This arrangement sees WPH&C pay for their course registration, billet them with Club members during their four days stay and schedule a social program that enables them to experience the sights, tastes and fun activities our city offers.  The Rotary Club of Coonabarabran are responsible for transportation of the students to and from Sydney. The students undertake a pre- and -post video presentation to both Rotary Clubs, as well as speaking at their school about their experiences and what they’ve gained from the course.
• This feedback is overwhelming positive, not only for giving them greater capacity in their STEM abilities and increased potential for future careers, but also for increasing their confidence and social skills – for many it is their first time coming to Sydney, using public transport, navigating shopping complexes and experiencing so many of the things in life we take for granted.  As a bonus, having these students with us at the same time as hosting an exchange students provided an ideal opportunity for connections to be fostered. To this end, Elise was enabled to spend time on a working wheat and cattle farm in Coonabarabran, while Maggie enjoyed Easter on the beach in Gerroa. A win-win for both the students and Clubs involved.

• Rotary Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) – Michelle from Pennant Hills High School and Zaydn and Blade from RuffTRACK attended Summer RYPEN in February 2025.  
• This is the first time the Club has worked with RuffTRACK in this endeavour. RuffTRACK, with whom the Club has existing relationships, is a not-for-profit organisation who support young people aged between 11 and 17 years of age who have disengaged with school and the community and support them in education and skill development. Their purpose is to harness the talents of young people to enable them to change their lives and re-integrate with society; in some cases, this involves keeping them alive and out of prison.
• Our Club recognised the synergies that exist between RYPEN and RuffTRACK, as both functions to support youth develop life skills and coping mechanisms to help them deal with the challenges life presents. While not without challenges, thanks to the patience and dedication of Summer RYPEN Coordinator, Melanie Lewis, the two RuffTRACK students made significant and positive gains in their lives through attending RYPEN.  

 
WPH&C is proud of its commitment to all District 9685 youth programs and believe our focus this year on disadvantaged youth ties into Rotary’s ethos of social justice and inclusive practice.  The Youth Committee look forward to continuing and broadening our scope in the new Rotary year.

In closing I would like to thank the Youth Committee for their hard work and insights to guide the portfolio and pay special tribute to Committee member Rosemary Clarke and to past Committee member Tony Coote. Both Rosemary and Tony have been Youth Directors in previous years and have left an enduring legacy to the Youth portfolio by ensuring it has a strong foundation to build upon each year. They have always championed Youth causes and have been great role models for programs and initiatives in this space. Many thanks my friends and best wishes for your future pursuits.
 
Janelle Craig
Youth Director