You’ll see some changes to the Learning Center, starting on November 30th. There will be a redesigned landing page will make it easier to find what you’re looking for and the section where members learn from one another will be easier to find and use. Let your clubs know about the upcoming Wednesday, December 2nd online Zoom presentation, where they’ll see what’s new, get inspired, and see how easy it is to learn, connect, and lead with Rotary. Register here: https://rotary-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ElbptrClQBi2_HFz5ZExHw#/registration.

In addition, several courses have been recently updated. Click here to download that list.

Rotary’s Service Above Self Award honors active Rotarians and Rotaractors who help others by volunteering their time and talents. Only district governors can nominate candidates for this prestigious award, and a maximum of 150 recipients are selected each year with typically no more than one recipient per district annually. It rewards hands-on, continuing humanitarian service and personal volunteerism. It is not awarded solely for holding elected or appointed Rotary positions, nor is it based on financial contributions to The Rotary Foundation.

If you know someone who has demonstrated exemplary service, encourage your governor to nominate them for the Service Above Self Award, Rotary International’s highest honor. The deadline for nominations is October 31st.

Who do you know who is a Rotary change-maker who’s addressing the root cause of challenges that affect communities, helping to stop problems before they start? Nominate that leader for the 2026-27 People of Action Honors: Champions of Prevention. Rotary will recognize leaders ages 16 and older who are confronting the core causes of community instability through effective, sustainable projects. People of Action Honors are presented to Rotary projects that exemplify everything our organization has to offer. Born out of a White House initiative in the United States, the People of Action Honors highlight impactful, sustainable, and scalable projects that are models of service for clubs around the world.

Rotary, Rotaract and Interact members, Peace Fellows, Global Grant Scholarship recipients, RYLA participants, Rotary Youth Exchange students, or Rotary alumni ages 16 and older are eligible to receive a nomination. To learn more or submit a nomination, visit the People of Action Honors page.

Click here to see the President’s message: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdKgj5uh1Y8/.

The deadline for nominations is October 30th.

As we celebrate Community Economic Development Month in October, consider how Rotary Community Corps can help create lasting change. RCCs are groups of community members that partner with clubs to identify local priorities, lead service projects, and develop sustainable solutions. By combining local knowledge with Rotary’s support and mentorship, RCCs strengthen communities while expanding Rotary’s impact and reach. Watch this Rotary Community Corps video to learn how RCCs foster community engagement, develop local leaders, and support sustainable development.

Why not show the 1 minute video to your club and Sponsor a Rotary Community Corps to engage residents and businesses and find ways to support your community together?

Poliovirus cases and positive environmental isolates reported this week:

Whether we’re supporting public health initiatives or planning community development projects, meaningful change begins with trust. In the video “Local Trust, Global Impact,” Diana Maria Pirga, a Rotarian and digital communication specialist for UNICEF, discusses how making an effort to understand communities and addressing their concerns can build confidence in lifesaving vaccines. The video offers valuable insights for clubs, Rotary Community Corps, and service leaders who want to deepen community engagement, build trust, and create sustainable impact. Watch the video and explore how community trust can strengthen your service efforts.

What do a traditional Mongolian dance, a 3.5-kilometer walk, a famous Belgian statue and a global fitness challenge have in common? They are all part of this year’s World Polio Day celebrations! From Mongolia to Geneva, Brussels, London and beyond, Rotary members are bringing communities together, raising awareness and keeping the push to end polio firmly in the spotlight. Discover how people around the world are getting involved — and how you can join them.

People are walking, running, and rolling to raise awareness of the fight against polio through the Team End Polio Movement Challenge on the Strava exercise app. It’s not too late to join. Sign up for the challenge now and begin recording your minutes of movement to help Team End Polio achieve its goal between now and October 24th.

WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) recommended strengthening routine polio vaccination by moving to three doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) particularly in countries at risk of poliovirus transmission.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Polio Oversight Board approved a 2027 operating budget of approximately US$778 million, with resources prioritized for interrupting wild poliovirus transmission in Afghanistan and Pakistan and responding to priority outbreaks elsewhere. 

Pharmazeutische Zeitung, one of Germany’s most respected pharmaceutical publications recently published an op-ed by Frank Intert, an End Polio Now coordinator and pharmacist with expertise in infectious diseases. In it, he cautions against vaccination complacency, using the poliovirus as an example. Despite recent wastewater detections of poliovirus in several European countries, including Germany, no outbreaks have been declared. This is not a coincidence. “High levels of immunity in the population, combined with robust surveillance, prevent the virus from regaining a foothold,” Intert says.

The endpolio.org website had been improved to offer:

• More intuitive, user-friendly navigation
• Direct access to a wide variety of polio eradication resources
• A centralized location for the latest stories from the fight against polio

You can get the latest statistical updates at:https://polioeradication.org/about-polio/polio-this-week.

Poliovirus cases and positive environmental isolates reported this week:

Since the launch of Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative in 1994, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8%, from an estimated 20 000 in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025 and 4 cases so far in 2026. Global polio eradication experts agree that ending wild polio in Pakistan and worldwide is within reach, but only if all partners maintain the response in the 2 remaining endemic countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) has published its 25th report, providing a candid assessment of progress and remaining challenges on the road to a polio-free world. 

You can get the latest statistical updates at:https://polioeradication.org/about-polio/polio-this-week.

Poliovirus cases and positive environmental isolates reported this week:

During the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, and as the first country in the region to complete polio transition, Iraq is showing how investments made for polio eradication can deliver lasting public health benefits, strengthening health system resilience, surveillance, laboratories and immunization systems. Read more here.

You can get the latest statistical updates at:https://polioeradication.org/about-polio/polio-this-week.

The Rotary Foundation will offer donors a variety of amenities and invitation-only events at the 2027 Rotary International Convention in Barcelona, Spain, June 26th – 30th. These events celebrate your generosity and the difference you make by supporting The Rotary Foundation. Online registration for the donor events will open in November. To receive an official email invitation, first register for the convention. Register for the convention by March 31st to take advantage of early-registration savings.

The details provided on the Donor Events page will help you get the most out of your donor experience in Barcelona. Check back often for the most up-to-date information regarding the donor events and amenities at Convention, and contact Donor Relations and Stewardship with any questions.

Interested in building your leadership skills? Want to engage your club’s members? Ready to offer better service projects? Interested in The Rotary Foundation? All this is offered in Rotary Leadership Institute, Part 1.

District 6040 is hosting RLI Part #1 online in two sessions, providing a convenient opportunity to complete the course virtually. There will be two sessions, the first on Monday, October 19^th, and the second on Wednesday, October 21^st
Each session will run from 5:15 p.m – 8:15 p.m. (Central) each evening

Seats are still available. To register, click the link or scan the QR code on the attached flyer. Registration Link: https://registrations.dacdb.com/Register/index.cfm?EventID=77943210

Online RLI Part I D6040

Poliovirus cases and positive environmental isolates reported this week: