Loves Park Rotary Club Youth Exchange Program

Rotary Youth Exchange has a goal to promote the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace at the person-to-person level, and is for high school students, aged 16-18, interested in living and studying abroad for one year.

Our Club is a big believer in this program and the benefits it delivers to young people by spending a year in school abroad. Although we primarily recruit from Harlem High School, we are open to any promising student with a sense of adventure, and who would well represent their country overseas.

The recruitment season begins in September, but if you are interested at anytime, please contact either:

• Youth Exchange Officer, Sandra Rye, (815) 968-9627
• District Chairman, David Smith, (815) 654-0684

We are part of an organization of other Rotary clubs that combine to administer the Exchange Program.

The Central States Rotary Youth Exchange Organization is a multi-district program that includes a portion of Canada above Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. We believe it is the finest of its kind.

• Visit the Central States Rotary Youth Exchange web page.
• Visit the Rotary International web site for more general information.
• Send e-mail to:     This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Harlem High School and Harlem Middle School "Student of the Month" Program

The objective of the Loves Park Rotary Club “Student of the Month” Program is to introduce student leaders from Harlem Middle School and Harlem High School to the purpose of Rotary International: "Service Above Self."

Each month from September through May, one middle school student and one high school student from the Harlem School District are selected to attend a Rotary Meeting. These students, their parents, and chaperones from the School District, are guests of the Club.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)

RYLA is another popular program that the Loves Park Rotary participates in annually.  Each year the soft>Loves Park Club pays for at least four freshmen or sophomore high school students to attend the District 6420 RYLA conference held at Lowden State Park in Oregon, IL.

Students that apply should be active in their school, community, or church. These students are soft>current or future leaders  About one hundred participants attend the three-day conference held in May. Some of the activities include team building, friendship times, sessions on youth interests of today, a campfire, dance, and much more. Students come back having formed many new friendships.

If you are interested in applying for RYLA, please write to:

Rotary Club of Loves Park
P.O. Box 2118
Loves Park, IL 61103

Application are available in March, typically with a mid-April submission deadline.  Students do not have to be a relative of a Rotarian.