Youth Programs

Moraga Rotary's mission is to "help make children better citizens of the world, through peace and understanding."   Toward that goal, we invest our time, energy and finances in the many youth programs offered by Rotary International and local clubs.  Below are all the current programs we sponsor.  Contact us if you are interested in these programs for your children.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.  Teams of 7 members apply their creativity to solve one of five problems from Odyssey that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.  They then create a skit to be performed in 8 minutes to describe their unique solution to their problem.  Odyssey develops teamwork, creativity, and self-confidence to perform in front of a large crowd.

They then bring their solutions to competitions on the Regional, State, and World levels.  Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.

Moraga Rotary sponsors all the Moraga Odyssey teams, this year 15 of them, providing financial support for registration, team shirts, and since at least one team wins the Local and State competitions and goes onto world competitions, we provide funding for transportation of the teams props to the World Championships in the Midwest.  For more information, visit the Moraga Odyssey of the Mind website, or Contact Us.

Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 14 to 18.  Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting.  Most are high school based.  Today there are more than 22,252 clubs in 109 countries and geographical areas, with over 511,790 young people involved in Interact.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of

• Developing leadership skills and personal integrity
• Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others
• Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work
• Advancing international understanding and goodwill

Moraga Rotary is the proud sponsor of the Campolindo Interact Club. 

For more information, contact us, or visit the Rotary International website, at the link below.

Rotaract is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 18 to 30.  Rotaract clubs are either community or university based, and since they’re sponsored by a local Rotary club, this makes them true "partners in service" and key members of the family of Rotary.

As one of Rotary’s most significant and fastest-growing service programs, with more than 10,563 clubs in  163 countries and geographical areas, and over 242,900 members, Rotaract has become a worldwide phenomenon.

All Rotaract efforts begin at the local, grassroots level, with members addressing their communities’ physical and social needs while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service.

    Rotaractors may also:

• Assist in organizing Interact clubs or mentor Interactors
• Participate in Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
• Become Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholars or Group Study Exchange team members
• Seek membership in their local Rotary club

For more information, contact us, or visit the Rotary International website, at the link below.

Camp Royal Leadership Camp

Camp Royal is a leadership training program for high school juniors, funded and run by Rotary District 5160.  Founded in 1979, Camp Royal has become one of the top leadership camps for incoming high school seniors in the country.

Student leaders from throughout the district attend to develop advanced skills with help from Rotarians, professional counselors, educators and keynote speakers.  And a day in the "Ropes Course" lets students experience team building and successful cooperation.

The program is held mid-June in the Trinity Alps, west of Redding, and is a concentrated, energy packed week of information, ideas and strategies that will help the camper return to his/her school and be a more effective leader.

The Camp's goals are:

• To offer advanced leadership skills to young men and women who have had experience in leadership positions.
• To emphasize cooperation, team building, excellent ethics and creativity in leadership.
• To broaden their knowledge of various vocations through interaction with Rotarians of District 5160.
• To assist the campers to realize their great potentials, and break through the barriers to success.
• To actively apply their new leadership skills when they return to school.

Moraga Rotary provides two scholarships to Campolindo High School juniors to attend Camp Royal every June.  For more information, contact us, or visit the Rotary District 5160 website, at the link below.

 Camp Venture for Business Entrepreneurs

Camp Venture is now a five day training and motivational camp for students who have finished their junior year and are interested in pursuing a career in business, particularly as entrepreneurs.  It is held in late June at the Maritime Academy California State University in Vallejo.

Students, sponsored by their local Rotary Clubs, have the opportunity to interact with experienced business people and meet with other students in District 5160 who have similar interests.

For more information, contact us, or visit the Rotary District 5160 website, at the link below.

 Rotary Youth Exchange

 Imagine stepping off the airplane into the arms of strangers-and then going home with them. Imagine the stress of coping with an unfamiliar language, alien customs, and a totally different way of life.  Within a few weeks, you begin to feel slightly more comfortable; within a few months, you even feel at home.  And by the end of a year, you have a new dilemma-how to say good-bye to friends that you will remember and cherish for a lifetime.  Such is the magic of Rotary's Youth Exchange program.

Youth Exchange starts at the most basic and intimate level - the family. Many students feel that they have gained the love and devotion of a second family.  In the same way, the host parents feel they have "adopted" a new son or daughter.  As one U.S. Rotarian said, "Our Youth Exchange student was not a daughter for four months - she will be a daughter forever."  These are the loving bonds that will endure the passage of time.

Started officially in 1974, Youth Exchange continues to be one of Rotary's most popular forms of international service. This year, more than 8,000 young people will experience the joys and the challenges of living abroad.

A typical Youth Exchange begins with planning and registering during Junior high school year.  Student pick their three countries of choice.  Most students go after their Senior year of school and before starting college.  They spend an academic year in the host country, during which the student lives with one or more host families and attends high school.  Most common is to repeat their Senior year.

Student Eligibility:

Rotary's Youth Exchange program is open to all qualified students ages 15-18.  Participants may, but do not have to be children of Rotarians.  Qualified applicants are frequently above average academically, articulate, and demonstrate community leadership skills.

Host Family Opportunities

Hosting a Rotary Youth exchange student from another country is a challenge - and an opportunity.  Involvement with an exchange student challenges a host family to become familiar with another culture, while providing the opportunity to share a young student's hopes and ambitions. These challenges and opportunities promise to enrich the lives of every member of your family.  Included in the application process to be a host family is a background check for all family members over 18 years of age. Hosting a student usually is a commitment of three to four months.  Families do not need to be affiliated with Rotary to participate.  Come join the Rotary Youth Exchange family around the world!

For more information, contact us, or visit the Rotary International website, at the link below.