• Winner: WINNER
  • Date: 1/31/2017
  • Rotary Year: 2016-2017
  • Award Category: Youth Activities
  • Club NameHarrisonburg-Massanutten
  • Member First NameGayl
  • Address: 
    3210 Peoples Drive Suite 220
    Harrisonburg, VA 22801
    United States View on Map
  • Email: gayl@govail.org
  • Brief Description: 
    Harrisonburg Masssanutten Rotary club is committed to youth, youth development, supporting youth as they pursue their goals, mentoring, and supporting the community involvement of youth. The club demonstrates this commitment through a variety of activities. Jeremy Spilman, a past president and very active member of our club spearheads the support to the interact club at Spotswood High School that our club supports; Stephen Hess, a past president and very active member of our club spearheads a yearly vocational mentor meeting with first generation students headed for higher education to discuss pathways to success and professions that the students are interested in; Ron Ross, a past president a very active member in our club, along with Nick Perrine our treasurer, spearheaded a district grant application to support two young students raise funds for a quadriciser for use at their middle school; and our club raises funds to award several scholarships for students at Massanutten Technical Center. All of these activities have promoted engagement of youth in their communities and supported their efforts to give to their communities.
  • Participation of Club Members: 
    Interact club has involved approx 12% of our club members in a variety of activities this past year.
    The vocational mentor meeting has had a strong commitment from our club with approx 80% of our club being involved in this activity over the years since it's inception.
    Our entire club was involved in the district grant through funds, voting on the project, engaging with the students who raised the funds by having several presentations on the quadriciser and being present when the quadriciser was delivered.
    Our entire club participates in the raising of funds for the Massanutten Technical Center scholarships and engaging with the students when they come to our club meeting with their families or support individuals to receive their scholarships
  • Resulting Benefits: 
    With the support from the Harrisonburg Massnutten Club and the members being involved and supportive of the many activities listed above, the interact club has grown and flourished improving the leadership of the youth and their engagement with their community. The vocational mentorship program with first generation students headed to higher education has continued to be a strong connection with the local high school. Students have expressed continued appreciation for the advice and conversation that they were able to have with Rotarians who shared from their experience in life in the field similar to what the student is exploring. The guidance counselors at the high school have repeatedly stated this is an invaluable opportunity for these students. The quadriciser district grant gave a significant amount of funds to assist in the students fund raising efforts. This resulted in multiple news coverage including being highlighted on CNN. The quadriciser has empowered the students with disabilities at the middle school to have access to exercise, mobility movements for muscle maintenance, and the former quadriciser that was at the middle school was moved to the high school thus expanding the exercise ability of students at another school. The Massanutten Technical Center scholarships enable students of limited resources to be able to purchase supplies and books as they pursue their vocation of choice. The connection our club to the larger community is great as a result of all these projects and involvement and along with the already stated benefits is the benefit of promoting rotary to the next generation and the many ways to make a difference in their community.
  • Additional Material or Information #1: 
    http://www.whsv.com/content/news/Students-raise-20000-for-school-get-special-recognition-391328941.html

    Attached is a link to the quadriciser articles and whsv report.
  • 1st Supporting Document: 
    Daily New Pg 1.pdf, Quadriciser Article pg 2.pdf
  • Additional Materail or Information #2: 
    facebook posts from the MTC scholarships and quadriciser
  • 2nd Supporting Document:
    youth activities.docx