The Rotary Club of Nanaimo Oceanside is committed to making our world a better place, both at home and abroad.

Founded in 1998, Oceanside Rotary has since donated over $850,000 within our community. While our focus is on youth centered projects that provide direct benefit within the Nanaimo area, our Club actively seeks opportunity to reach other parts of the world like our ongoing projects in Sunyani, Ghana.

The Oceanside family would like to thank our friends who support our fund-raising efforts through our Annual Christmas Toy Drive, and the various other projects that our club undertakes.

Our Ways

Through our fun and exciting events and initiatives, we are able to positively impact the people in our communities, both local, and worldwide. Although our Rotary family is well acquainted with hard work, an emphasis is always placed on the social aspects of our select projects. A good club has good fellowship – and we have some of the best.

It is through our growing and diverse membership that we continue to succeed in our goals.

-Together We Inspire

Youth Opportunities

Interact

Interact is a club for young people ages 12-18 who want to join together to tackle the issues in their community that they care most about. Through Interact, you can:

  • Carry out hands-on service projects
  • Make international connections
  • Develop leadership skills
  • Have fun!

How does an Interact club create positive change?

Every Interact club carries out two service projects a year: one that helps your school or community and one that promotes international understanding.

Service projects are an effective way for you to take action at home and abroad, connect with other young leaders, and get members excited about your club. You can find ideas and tips for successful projects in the Interact Handbook.

How do I join an Interact club?

First, ask your friends or a guidance counselor if there’s already an Interact club at your school. Look online for local Interact clubs in your community. You can also contact a local Rotary club to find out if they sponsor an Interact club.

Interact clubs meet at least twice a month. Contact the club to find out about its next meeting, service project, or social event.

If you want to learn more about Interact, watch “Students Making a Difference,” the 2012 Interact Video Contest grand-prize winner, or any of the other entries to see how young people, like you, are changing the world through Interact.

What if there isn’t an Interact club in my school or community?

You can start one! Contact a local Rotary club to learn how to start your own Interact club. You can find everything you need to organize and manage a club in the Interact Handbook. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

  • A sponsor Rotary club to provide support and partnership
  • An adviser from your sponsor club
  • A faculty adviser (if it’s a school-based club) to serve as a liaison between your sponsor Rotary club and the school administration
  • Members!
  • Strong club leaders to help organize your club, grow your membership, and carry out successful projects.

Interact is a club for young people ages 12-18 who want to join together to tackle the issues in their community that they care most about. Through Interact, you can:

  • Carry out hands-on service projects
  • Make international connections
  • Develop leadership skills
  • Have fun!

RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award)

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a leadership development program run by Rotary. While participants can be any age, most events focus on secondary school students, university students, or young professionals. RYLA events are typically 3–10 days long and include presentations, activities, and workshops that cover a variety of topics, including:

  • Leadership fundamentals and ethics
  • Communication skills
  • Problem solving and conflict management
  • Community and global citizenship

Youth Exchanges

Are you interested in learning a new language or meeting new people? Rotary Youth Exchange is the opportunity of a lifetime for the more than 8,000 students who participate each year. By sharing your own culture and embracing a new one, you help foster global understanding—and learn a great deal about yourself and your home country in the process.

What is a Rotary Youth Exchange?

Youth Exchange is a study-abroad opportunity for young people who spend anywhere from a few weeks to a full year as an international student hosted by local Rotary clubs.

Is an exchange right for me?

Exchanges are for people ages 15–19 who:

  • Have demonstrated leadership in their school and community
  • Are flexible and willing to try new things
  • Are open to cultural differences
  • Can serve as an ambassador for their own country

How much does it cost?

Costs vary from country to country. Local Rotary clubs generously host students and provide room and board with a host family and a small monthly stipend. Participants are generally responsible for:

  • Round-trip airfare
  • Insurance
  • Travel documents (such as passports and visas)
  • Spending money, additional travel, and tour fees

How can I apply?

Contact your local Rotary club to see if it participates and to learn more about the types of programs offered, and specific application process required. Because the selection and orientation process can be lengthy, we suggest you apply 6­–12 months before you plan to leave.

Host an Exchange Student

Hosting an exchange student can be an incredibly rewarding experience for your family, providing an international experience without leaving home. Host families provide room and board and share their lives with exchange students, involving them in family, community, and cultural activities.

Interested in learning more about being a host family?

What is Rotaract?

Rotaract is a club for adults ages 18-30 that meets twice a month to exchange ideas, plan activities and projects, and socialize. While Rotary clubs serve as sponsors, Rotaract clubs decide how to organize and run their club and what projects and activities to carry out.

How do I join a Rotaract club?

Contact the Rotaract club via Facebook to find out about its next meeting, service project, or social event.

If you’re interested in learning more about Rotaract, watch “Journey to Pisco” to see how Rotaract clubs worldwide are using their energy, experience, and education to address issues that are important to them.