Adventures in Citizenship

Each year the Rotary Club of Abbotsford accepts applications from Grade 11 & 12 students attending high school in Abbotsford for its Adventures in Citizenship program.

Secondary students are offered unique opportunities to participate in ‘Adventure Programs’ sponsored by the club in conjunction with other Rotary Clubs throughout Canada and the United States. Students who have participated in previous years have found the program to be a very rewarding experience.

One deserving applicant will receive an all expenses paid trip to Ottawa to join other students from across Canada as they learn about Canada’s parliamentary system.

Applicants must be Abbotsford students (including home schooled) between the ages of 16 and 19 who are Canadian Citizens or Landed Immigrants. The selected student will be responsible and caring with a strong academic standing who has demonstrated community service with an emphasis on non-school related volunteering. Students who wish to apply for the program, are asked to write a letter of application stating how they meet the above selection criteria, and include a personal statement describing what being a citizen of Canada means to them.

Upon returning home, the student will make a brief presentation to the Rotary Club and at their school.

Ambassadorial Scholarships

The purpose of the scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries.  Scholars are expected to be outstanding ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country through both formal and informal appearances before Rotary and non-Rotary groups. Each scholar is assigned a host Rotarian counselor to facilitate involvement in Rotary and integration into the host culture.

This type of program creates personal links between countries and are an important step toward greater understanding and goodwill in the the world.  For more information please visit the Rotary International Website.

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Community Service

A community, defined in its simplest terms, is a group of people who have something in common. But in real life, it is something far more complex than that. Each member — every individual, group, organization, and business — draws benefits from the community in many different ways. For a community to thrive, each of its members must honour a commitment to contribute to the well being of the whole by returning those benefits in kind.

Rotarians recognize the importance of giving back to the community. After all, Community Service is one of the Four Avenues of Service. Every Rotary club and every Rotarian assumes a responsibility to find ways to improve the quality of life for those in their communities and to serve the public interest. When those efforts are effective, they not only contribute to the greater good, they also promote Rotary''s positive image.

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Group Study Exchange

The Group Study Exchange (GSE) program of The Rotary Foundation is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 in the early years of their professional lives. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. For 4 to 6 weeks, team members experience the host country's institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

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Interact

Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people ages 14-18. The program gives young people an opportunity to participate in fun, meaningful service projects while developing leadership skills and meeting new friends.

Through service activities, Interactors learn the importance of:

Developing leadership skills and personal integrity;
Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others; and
Advancing international understanding and goodwill.

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Polio Eradication

In 1985, Rotary launched PolioPlus, one of the most ambitious humanitarian programs ever undertaken by a private-sector organization. PolioPlus was the catalyst for the World Health Assembly's resolution in 1988 to eradicate polio. Today, thanks to Rotary's commitment and its leadership in mobilizing volunteers, the world is on the threshold of eradicating the polio virus.

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Rotaplast

Rotaplast International is a non-profit humanitarian organization providing free reconstructive cleft-palate operations and treatment for children in need worldwide.

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Rotaract

Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. The program is part of a global effort to bring peace and international understanding to the world.

With Rotaract you can:

Develop professional and leadership skills.
Serve your community and promote goodwill.
Gain an understanding of the needs, problems, and opportunities in your community and worldwide.

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Rotary Foundation

The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

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Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

Each year, thousands of young people take part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program worldwide. Young people ages 14-30 chosen for their leadership potential attend an all-expenses-paid seminar, camp, or workshop to discuss leadership skills and to learn those skills through practice. Rotary Clubs and Districts select participants and facilitate the event's curriculum.

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Scholarship and Bursary Program

Each year the Rotary Club of Abbotsford awards scholarships and bursaries to graduating students in the Abbotsford area. Awards are based on the students’ demonstrated scholastic ability, community leadership and citizenship.

This program is largely funded through proceeds from BC Gaming/Bingo Funds. Club members volunteer their time each month.

The Abbotsford Community Foundation administers this program, and each February, the Foundation publishes a booklet, outlining details of the above awards, as well as scholarships and bursaries being offered by other organizations and individuals. This information booklet complete with application forms is sent to each of the schools for distribution to interested students.

In addition, the Rotary Club of Abbotsford has created five scholarships/bursaries for deserving students attending the University of the Fraser (UFV). This program is administered through the UFV Foundation.

Vocational Service

As business leaders, Rotarians share their skills and expertise through vocational service, one of the Four Avenues of Service. Your vocational service efforts can play a vital role in improving the quality of life for those hardworking members of the community who need direction and expertise. By participating in any of a number of vocational service activities — mentoring, career days, vocational awards, business assistance, or even talking about your job at a club meeting — you can turn your experience into an invaluable resource for others.

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World Community Service (WCS)

A World Community Service project is born when Rotary clubs from two or more countries join together to accomplish a community service project. The WCS program links Rotary clubs that need extra help with clubs in other countries that are willing to provide funds, materials, technical and professional assistance.

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Youth Exchange

Youth Exchange provides thousands of young people with the opportunity to meet people from other lands and to experience their cultures, thus planting the seeds for a lifetime of international understanding.  Since 1927, students and host families all over the world have had their horizons broadened and their lives enriched by the generosity of Rotary's Youth Exchange program. Administered by Rotary Clubs, Districts and multi-district groups, the program today involves more than 82 countries and over 8,000 students each year.

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