May starts on Monday and with it comes the beginning of Youth Service Month. As the school year winds down for most Americans, Rotarians, Rotaractors, and others in our Rotary family (EarlyAct, Interact, RYLA and Rotary Youth Exchange participants) take the time to recognize the important role we play in developing tomorrow’s leaders. How do your clubs and districts plan to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of your youth participants and the members who empower them?

Next month, look for stories of how others are doing it at: rotaryserviceblog.org and rotaryserviceblog.org. You can also share your own stories of Youth Service, like the story of Interact starting on page 40 in this month’s Rotary magazine. Keep current and get more content by liking and following the Rotary Youth Service Month Facebook page, which will feature ways you can celebrate the month.

May also brings the deadline for applying for the next round of Rotary Peace Fellowships. Rotary offers up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and up to 40 for certificate studies toward fully funded peace fellowships for young professionals working in peace and development. They study at one of seven premier universities around the world, gaining knowledge, skills, and global networks to be effective peacebuilders. Applications are open for 2024 fellowships. Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,600 fellows who now work in over 140 countries.

If you’re planning to join us in Melbourne for the International Convention, consider attending the Youth Exchange Officers Preconvention on May 26th and 27th. There, you can join fellow Rotarians and volunteers as you learn alongside friends, exchange ideas, and make connections for future exchanges. Register by clicking here.