Regional Youth Leadership > Getting the Most from Your RYL Experience
As with all worthwhile endeavors, you will get out of RYL what you put in. The most significant thing you can do to have an outstanding experience is to be an active participant.

• Take ownership of the learning opportunities available to you. You are responsible for ensuring that your experience is positive.

• Exchange ideas with other students and speakers. Be receptive to new ideas, expand your vision, and investigate areas you might never have considered before.

• Immerse yourself in the session topics. Read and study any materials presented to you ahead of time. Be prepared, ask questions, and participate in session discussions. RYL speakers expect and are accustomed to responding to challenging and thoughtful questions and comments; be ready to participate. Acknowledge and share your talents and abilities in a positive way.

• Make a commitment to get to know as many different students as possible. Reach out like the leaders you are and make contacts. Include everyone in your discussions and activities. Respect one another; learn from each other.

• Give yourself the full benefit of the RYL experience by attending each session.  Your attendance is a valuable asset to each day. Your presence will be missed if you are absent. We chose you because of the unique perspective you bring with you. Early dismissals are discouraged, but if needed you must have hand-written parental approval.

• Participate in the enhancement activities such as the community service projects. They are a unique aspect of RYL. We will share these experiences during the program days.

• Minimize intrusions during the day. Silence all cell phone and beepers. Please refrain from texting or using cell phones at any time during the session day. Use your breaks to get better acquainted with your RYL classmates.

• Be attentive and respectful to the speakers and your classmates. Every member is important and has an impact. The more you respect each other and are enthusiastic about learning from each other, the greater impact you can have on the community in the future.

• Respond thoughtfully to the evaluations. An evaluation form will be distributed at the end of each session. We encourage your comments and critique. Your individual assessment of each session provides information eagerly sought by the Steering Committee.

Questions? Please contact us for more information.