On Wednesday 22 March we heard from a range of young people our club has supported over the last 12months to attend Rotary enrichment programmes.
Cara, Eva and Abby attended Innovative Young Minds in 2022, unfortunately cut short by a COVID +ve participant.
They spoke about having their eyes opened to some of the many possible future directions they could take, hearing and being inspired by many women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
Amelia and Kimberli attended the Rotary Science and Technology Forum in January. Unfortunately COVID also cut this progamme short by a week.
They spoke of the physical, academic and social benefits of the forum, including connections with others and gaining a glimpse into university life.
One of the girl's parents, a psychologist, thanked the club, speaking about how these opportunities increase motivation for the girls, who are ensconced in the day to day drudgery of NCEA. He commented on how important it is for young people to have opportunities to be motivated by what their schooling can lead to, especially the type of eye opening possibilities the girls experienced on their scholarships.
Finally, we heard from Harry, who had attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Programme. He spoke about how RYLA helped him to overcome anxiety and depression, and improved his self confidence through opportunities young people don't get in every day life.
The young people all were hugely thankful of the opportunities they had been offered through our Club. We wish them all the best for the future.