Could I Become a Leader? is the theme of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) course organized by the Järvenpää Rotary Club at Järvenpää Upper Secondary School in October. Having been conducted for more than a quarter of a century, RYLA has on several occasions been selected as the school’s best course.
According to the club’s RYLA coordinator, Juhani Suhonen, seminars are held on three afternoons. Upper secondary school students receive one or two study credits for participating in the program. Leaders from various organizations present their perspectives on leadership within their own contexts and describe their career paths to their current positions.
The idea is that students gain insights from a variety of leaders about what organizational leadership entails while also expanding their professional networks. In addition, participants spend a day accompanying leaders to observe their work in practice. At its largest, the course has attracted around 45 participants, while the smallest group consisted of 12 students. This year, 27 students enrolled in the RYLA program.
The seminar series began with a presentation by the Mayor/City Manager of Järvenpää on municipal leadership. This was followed by presentations addressing the challenges of managing artistic organizations and Rotary, including the specific characteristics of leadership in volunteer organizations.
Other topics include leadership in the reserve forces, the technology sector, and a sports and fitness center. These are followed by discussions on leadership and finance, as well as the management of a dental clinic. On the final seminar day, Juhani Suhonen, who earned his doctorate from Walden University, presented an overview of leadership theories.
Juhani Suhonen summarizes his experience of the course:
“RYLA is one of Rotary’s most tangible ways of influencing the future of young people. In Järvenpää, we have seen over the past 25 years how valuable it is for young people to discuss with leaders from different fields and observe their work in practice. Similar cooperation with upper secondary schools is still fairly rare in Finland, although the model has enormous potential. I hope that more and more Rotary clubs will seize this opportunity. Implementing the program requires commitment and effective use of networks, but that is exactly where Rotary excels.”
Jukka Packalén and Juhani Suhonen, Järvenpää RC
