Taking the stage in ripped jeans, a hoodie, and a baseball cap at an annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) camp in Wisconsin for high school students, Marvin Edelstein transforms himself into Marvelous Marv, the rapper. No matter that he's in his 70s. "It astonishes them at my age," he says.
Edelstein, a member of the Rotary Club of Evanston Lighthouse, Illinois, didn't know anything about rapping or hip-hop until he became an adult facilitator at District 6440's RYLA camp. But he taught himself, because he knew the importance of relating to the students. He's modeling one of the basic tenets of the RYLA experience: allowing students to learn things for themselves. "My biggest challenge," he says, "is to not tell them how to solve the problems but let them figure them out on their own, like I did."
At its core, RYLA is intended to develop self-confidence and life-management skills in young people ages 14-30. How that comes about is entirely up to the clubs, districts, or multidistricts that offer the program. RYLA organizers often target certain age groups or address specific needs and interests within the community. However they accomplish it, RYLA programs aim to develop leadership skills, instill a lifelong commitment to service, and empower young people to make the most of their lives.
