The Holland Rotary Leaders for the 21st Century is a project initiated in 2000 with the vision of Holland Rotarians Tom and Deanna DePree. It was successfully conducted annually until placed on hold by pandemic limitations. Holland/Zeeland Rotary Clubs revived it in 2023.
The original project was conceived as a joint program of the Ottawa County Life Services System, the Rotary Clubs of Holland and Zeeland, and the local school districts. Over the years, students from the Holland, West Ottawa, Zeeland, Holland Christian, Corpus Christi Catholic, and Fennville, and Muskegon Schools have participated.
Rotary Leaders for the 21st Century is today an annual leadership conference conducted at Hope College the second week of June for middle schoolers entering 7th and 8th grades who have been selected by their schools as potential emerging leaders. It continues with further engagement in regular follow-up meetings in the participating schools throughout the school year.
These young people are identified as emerging leaders entering a critical stage of development of identity and are viewed as a group that could benefit from such a unique program beyond the classroom.
The outcomes are clear: emerging Leaders grow into becoming ambassadors for their schools, mentors for younger students, as well as incoming students, taking leads in raising funds for identified needs, and engaging in a host of service projects for their schools and the community as a whole.
This is the promise of today and the hope for tomorrow for Leaders for the 21st Century. Won’t you join us in the building of outstanding futures?