Leadership. Team Building. Personal Growth.
What is RYLA?
RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy) is a transformative, fun-filled five-day leadership camp for high school students from San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin. Make friends with 150 students from 50 Bay Area high schools. RYLA is FREE for all participants.
RYLA uses a theme of a hero’s journey and the five practices of exemplary leadership. Students work in teams of ten students guided by two facilitators. Camp activities include outdoor team-building challenges, personal development workshops, recreational and social activities, campfires, and skits. Students stay at RYLA for five days and four nights at the Redwood Glen facility near Santa Cruz from August 1-5, 2026. RYLA arranges coach transport to and from camp.
How campers describe camp in one word.
RYLA’s Leadership Approach
RYLA believes there is more than one way to be a leader and that everyone has the capacity to develop the skills that all great leaders need.
RYLA uses the five practices of exemplary leadership developed by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner in their global bestselling book The Leadership Challenge that form the basis of our leadership framework: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.
RYLA Skills Development
Communication Skills:
Develop interpersonal skills
Communicate more effectively
Develop listening skills
Participate in group activities in a warm, supportive environment
Personal Qualities:
Identify various types of leadership personalities
Learn to work cooperatively with others
Learn how to handle stress
Leadership:
Understand the characteristics of exemplary leaders
Learn different styles of leadership
Observe effective leaders in various situations
Problem solving:
Learn creative thinking skills
Learn practical problem solving and decision making skills
Learn how to get things done when others are involved