Palm Desert, CA – In planned fashion today by the RYLC, Ashley-Anne Hobbins –Palm Desert Rotarian, COD Rotaract President and RYLC Chair met Sunday with Sergio Parra –CSUSB Palm Desert Rotaract President and RYLC Co-Chair to discuss next steps and planning in developing their youth initiatives for Coachella Valley. 

Ashley-Anne Hobbins developed the initiatives last summer while gaining support from Rotary District Governors, Rudy Westervelt and Chehab Elawar and Rotaract HQ. The project is considered a ‘lighthouse youth initiative’ for building Rotary Youth and general Rotary club development. 

‘We expect our project to be one that Rotary International can emulate in other localities, states and regions’ says Palm Desert Rotarian Ashley-Anne.

The CV Youth Leadership Council is made up of College of the Desert and CSUSB Rotaract Presidents and Vice Presidents, as well as Presidents from each desert Interact clubs. The project’s Next steps includes formalizing the online CV Rotary Youth Network -getting an online social media presence, reaching out to CV Rotary Clubs to assemble current youth advisors from each club and their Interact clubs in middle and high schools. This RYN project places valley Interact Presidents and Vice Presidents across the Coachella valley together into an interactive network. The project’s Rotary Youth Congress made up of Rotaractor and Interactor Presidents and Vice Presidents, their teacher and Rotary club advisors. The annual Congress event will take place where Rotary Youth and advisors will celebrate Rotary and Rotary Youth and more. They will work, communicate, plan projects together, build joint efforts to fund raise, to help enhance the Rotary Youth Brand, Rotary Clubs, and especially help build visibility and Rotary membership throughout the valley. 

‘We can likely expect projects such as this three part Rotary Youth initiative to be the future of Rotary efforts in ‘Service Above Self’, a pathway to sustainable membership and club development’ says RYLC projects advisor Ben Hobbins.

The RYLC is assembling Coachella Valley Interact Club Presidents and Vice Presidents. Each serves as a ‘junior member’ on the Rotary Youth Leadership Council, chaired by ‘senior members’, officers of collegiate Rotaract Clubs. RYLC will organize the 1st Annual Rotary Youth Congress this spring at a time TBD. The RYLC effort is being led by the project founder and chair Ashley-Anne Hobbins and CSUSB co-chair Sergio Parra in collaboration with membership of their clubs and their project advisor. ‘this is definitely a project for the ages’ states Cody Frank, Vice President Rotaract College of the Desert. 

 ‘As Rotarians, we can expect the fruits of our efforts to bring light to the good things Rotary does every day in our communities, regions, our nation and around the world!’ says Ashley-Anne. ‘I am so happy to help develop Rotary and Rotary International youth efforts. Our cutting edge project will help lead the way’.