Rotary of Lees Summit Is....
Investing in our Youth
The Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit believes that one of the most important investments we can make is in the young people of our community. Through scholarships, leadership development, literacy initiatives, youth camps, and support for local youth organizations, Lee’s Summit Rotary helps young people gain the education, skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to build successful futures.
Making an Investment That Lasts
Whether it's helping a student pay for college, providing training for a future tradesperson, developing the next generation of leaders, improving literacy, sending a young person to camp, or supporting an organization serving local youth, Lee’s Summit Rotary puts community resources to work where they can make a lasting difference. We don't just support young people. We invest in what they can become.
Help Us Invest in the Future
Every scholarship, program, and youth initiative is made possible through the generosity and involvement of our Rotary members, community partners, donors, and supporters. Together, we can help more Lee’s Summit students learn, lead, work, and succeed.
Scholarships for Lee’s Summit Students
Debt-Free College Path
For many students, the cost of higher education can be the difference between having an opportunity and having to put that opportunity on hold.
Lee’s Summit Rotary provides scholarships to graduating Lee’s Summit students pursuing their education at community colleges throughout Missouri. These scholarships are designed to help local students continue their education close to home while working toward a degree, certificate, or career. Combined with Missouri's A+ Scholarship, students scan obtain an associate's degree debt-free. From there they are equiped to enter the work force or transfer to a 4-year university to continue their education. We believe talent and ambition should not be limited by a student's ability to pay for college.
Trade Scholarships
A successful career doesn't always require a four-year degree. Skilled trades are essential to our communities and offer rewarding careers in fields ranging from construction and electrical work to automotive, manufacturing, plumbing, HVAC, and other technical professions.
Lee’s Summit Rotary supports trade scholarships for students pursuing skilled-trade education and training—helping students gain the practical skills needed to enter high-demand careers.
Our trade scholarship program is one of the few programs of its kind available to students in our area. By supporting trade education, Rotary is investing not only in individual students, but also in the skilled workforce our community depends upon.
College isn't the only path to a career. For many students, the path begins with a skill, a tool, and an opportunity.
RYLA — Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
Developing Tomorrow's Leaders Today
The Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) gives young people the opportunity to step outside the classroom and develop practical leadership skills.
Through teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and hands-on activities, RYLA challenges students to discover their leadership potential and learn how their choices can make a difference in their schools, workplaces, and communities.
RYLA isn't simply about learning how to lead. It's about learning how to listen, collaborate, take responsibility, and make a difference.
BELRAG
Building Stronger Communities Through Literacy
Education begins with the ability to read, learn, and communicate.
Through BELRAG (Basic Education and Literacy Action Group), Lee’s Summit Rotary supports efforts that improve basic education and literacy and expand opportunities for young people to succeed.
Literacy is more than a classroom skill. It is a foundation for independence, employment, education, and lifelong learning. By helping young people develop these fundamental skills, Rotary helps open doors to opportunities that can last a lifetime. BELRAG is open to all community members, so if literacy is your passion, BELRAG is for you.
Rotary Youth Camp
An Opportunity to Learn, Grow, and Connect
The Rotary Youth Camp gives young people an opportunity to experience new activities, develop friendships, build confidence, and discover abilities they may not have known they possessed.
For some participants, camp is a chance to try something new. For others, it is an opportunity to gain independence and confidence in a supportive environment.
Rotary believes that experiences outside the classroom can be just as important as those inside it.
Supporting Local Youth Organizations
Stronger Kids. Stronger Community.
Lee’s Summit Rotary also supports organizations and programs that are already making a difference in the lives of local young people. By providing financial support and community partnerships, Rotary helps local youth organizations offer programs, activities, educational opportunities, and experiences that might otherwise be unavailable. Because building a stronger community isn't something one organization can do alone.