A Record-Setting Spring
This year's two sessions at Edwards Camp & Conference Center in East Troy, Wisconsin drew strong participation from schools across the district. Session 1 (March 12–15) welcomed 130 students, and Session 2 (April 9–12) brought in 169, one of the largest groups in the program's history. Students ranged from freshmen to seniors, with strong representation from underclassmen who will carry their RYLA experience forward for years.
The numbers behind those weekends are worth knowing. Across both sessions, 95 to 97 percent of participants said RYLA will help them become better leaders. Ninety-five percent said they better understand their own leadership style. And 96 percent, in a program that intentionally separates students from their classmates and places them with strangers, said they made new friends from other communities.
That kind of cross-community connection is hard to manufacture. It's one of the things RYLA does better than almost any other youth program in the district.
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World-Class Speakers, Local Impact
Part of what sets RYLA apart is the caliber of its presenters. This year's lineup featured speakers that most leadership conferences would struggle to assemble.
Erin Pompa earned the highest combined scores of any speaker across both sessions. Her presentation on overcoming perfectionism and self-doubt resonated deeply. Students cited her "black dot" message as the single most memorable and actionable takeaway of the weekend. Rick Metzger continued to bring his signature high-energy style, with one three-year returning participant saying he still finds new value in Rick's material every time he hears it.
Chris Norton and Bethany Rentsch both performed at anchor-speaker levels. Chris Norton's message about "choosing the 3%" was called "incredibly profound" by multiple students. Bethany pulled double duty as both a featured speaker and a group facilitator, excelling at both and earning top-tier scores in each role.
The Facilitator Team: The Unsung Engine
Behind the speakers, a team of group facilitators drives the small-group experience that students consistently call the heart of RYLA. In April, 19 facilitators earned an average rating above 9.4 out of 10. In March, 15 facilitators averaged 9.6.
These are former RYLA participants and young professionals who volunteer their weekends because the program meant something to them. Their work is what turns a good conference into a transformative experience.
What Students Are Saying
The evaluation data is strong, but the student voices are stronger. Here's what some of this year's participants wrote on their surveys:
"The skills I learned at RYLA will help me become a better leader because I know what characteristics truly allow a person to help enforce and enact change." — Junior participant
"This retreat has given me the confidence to step up against the negativity and just be myself." — Brynn, Junior
"Thank you so much for this experience. I love it every year and the way it is run is so amazing. This is an extraordinary opportunity and I hope everyone here understands that." — Returning participant
These aren't outliers. The program earned an average rating of 9.15 out of 10 in March and 8.62 in April. Students are telling us, year after year, that RYLA works.
School Partners See It Too
RYLA's reputation extends well beyond Rotary circles. School administrators across the district have become active partners in identifying and sending students.
Carl Vallianatos, Assistant Superintendent at McHenry High School District 156, reports that RYLA has impacted dozens of students over nearly a decade of partnership, and that those students return energized and eager to bring what they learned back to their schools. Lake Park High School District Assistant Superintendent Jessica Foster calls the program "a phenomenal leadership opportunity". Her district sponsors approximately 20 students each year through a combination of Rotary club support, the Lake Park Educational Foundation, and school scholarships.
When schools invest their own resources alongside Rotary to send students, that's a powerful endorsement of what this program delivers.
A Program Worth Protecting
RYLA runs on Rotary's investment. $400 per student, covering transportation, lodging, meals, speakers, and materials. Students attend all expenses paid. There is no cost to families.
For that investment, sponsoring clubs receive something money can't easily buy: a young person who comes back to your community ready to lead. Some of those students go on to ask about Interact Clubs and Rotary involvement. Some come back to RYLA as facilitators. A few, like Charlie. a senior who returned for his third year, become living proof of what sustained youth development looks like.
To learn more about sponsoring a student or getting your club involved, contact Sean Nelson at snelson1ryla@gmail.com or (630) 688-5165.