ROTA Hosts 70 Students at 4th Youth Leadership Training
5 schools apply to set up new ROTA Youth Service Clubs
More than 2000 Qatari Youth have benefitted from ROTA activities in Qatar
Seventy future community leaders participated in the recent 4th Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) Youth Service Clubs Leadership Training program at Education City.
Students from nine Qatar international and independent schools - all participating in ROTA Youth Leadership Training for the first time - were equipped with the skills to become agents for change and encouraged to demonstrate their leadership potential in a camp-like learning environment.
Featuring practical and interactive sessions on leadership, teamwork, project management, advocacy and service learning, the 4-day ROTA Youth Leadership course prepared the 14 to 17-year-old students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to run their own Youth Service Club activities effectively.
After developing a clear understanding of the UNESCO Millennium Development Goals which have been an inspiration for ROTA's work, students gained a clear understanding of ROTA Youth service grant projects themes; which include international education, migrant workers, environmental and sustainable development, youth voice/youth participation in public life, and ICT for development. Students then undertook research and came up with solutions about how these issues affect Qatar, before presenting a clear plan to resolve each issue using videos, posters, social media and storytelling skills.
"ROTA Youth Service Club members embody the hopes and dreams we have for our youth," says ROTA Director Essa Al Mannai. "Their work is a testament to the passion and commitment of young people that is now being channeled into projects to create a better world."
On the final day, ROTA hosted a reflection event where eight youth clubs sponsored by Vodafone Qatar made a presentation explaining how their ROTA Youth Service Clubs operate, inspiring five of the participating schools to apply to set up their own ROTA Youth Club.
"I attended because I want to make a difference to the community. I am very fortunate that ROTA gave my students the training and the opportunity to help them tackle the issues which matter most to our communities," said Waleed Elmahdy Teacher for Commercial Secondary Independent School
"I want to make my community a better place for everyone but I can't do that on my own. At the ROTA Youth Service Training, I get together with other people who are full of energy, ideas and want to respond to the communities' needs," said Tammam Al-Ghraoui, Qatar Academy.
Since 2007, more than 2,000 youth in Qatar have benefited from ROTA activities and gained the confidence and skills needed to become the community leaders of tomorrow, empowering 14 to 24-year-olds to become active members of their communities and the wider world.
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