There are exciting opportunities for young people across District 7815 and beyond! Discover how Interact Clubs are getting underway across Atlantic Canada, read about the first gathering of our 11 Rotary Youth Exchange students from eight countries, and mark your calendars for the 2027 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). You’ll also find details about the fully funded Honouring Indigenous Peoples Youth-to-Youth Experience in Alberta, learn how Rotary can support Indigenous-led reconciliation initiatives, and explore the inspiring Walk With the Earth movement bringing youth together through environmental stewardship and community partnerships.
READ MORE find ways to support youth leadership, strengthen Rotary’s connections with schools and communities, and help young people build meaningful relationships that can last a lifetime!
Interact: Clubs Are Up and Running!
Interact Clubs across Atlantic Canada are getting their new Rotary year underway! Many clubs have already participated in school club and recruitment fairs, helping introduce students to the opportunities, activities, and leadership experiences available through Interact.
The first club meeting is an important opportunity for students to connect, understand what lies ahead, and get excited about being involved. Support from Rotary and teacher advisers helps ensure that students feel welcomed, engaged, and ready to make the most of their Interact experience.
We’re looking for Rotarian Interact Advisers!
We want to ensure that our District Interact Committee has representation from every province. We are currently seeking Rotarian Interact Advisers from New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island to join the committee.
Our Interact Adviser meeting was held on September 28. Topics included youth opportunities, a HIP presentation featuring a guest speaker, photo and food contests, adviser training courses, the 2026–2027 Rotary Interact Adviser Form, and correspondence from Rotary International and the committee.
If you are interested in supporting Interact in your province or have questions about the program, please contact Bev at RotaryBev@outlook.com.
Your involvement can help strengthen Interact and create meaningful opportunities for young people throughout our district.
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RYLA 2027: Save the Dates!Planning is already underway for the 2027 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) events across Atlantic Canada!
RYLA provides young people with opportunities to develop leadership skills, build confidence, connect with peers, and discover their potential to make a difference in their communities.
Mark your calendars for the following dates:
- Truro, Nova Scotia: May 7–8, 2027
- Sussex, New Brunswick: May 14–15, 2027
- St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador: May 21–22, 2027
More information was expected by the end of October 2026. Watch for further updates and start thinking about the young leaders in your community who might benefit from attending.
Help us spread the word and make RYLA 2027 a success!
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Youth Exchange
From September 18th- the 20th the District North Atlantic (D7815) Rotary Youth Exchange Inbound students all met up for the first time at Camp Tidnish in Baie Verte, NB. This year we have eleven students from Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, Brazil, Taiwan, and Japan. We are lucky to have another group of great inbound students this year that are kind, enthusiastic, engaged, and excited for their year in Atlantic Canada.
Over the weekend the students got to know each other, played games, participated in workshops and activities surrounding cultural adaptation, identity, and personal growth. They went for a boat ride and cooked. On Saturday evening every student made a dish from their country, and I am happy to share that the dinner was a success. They had Milk Tea from Taiwan, Gnocchi alla Romana from Italy, Yakisoba from Japan, Waffles from Belgium and many more delicious dishes.
We are again very grateful to the Rotary Club of Amherst for allowing us to stay at Camp Tidnish and to everyone who helped with getting the students to and from for the weekend. A big thank you to Alida Campbell (District Orientation Facilitator) and Anna Gleason (District Inbound Coordinator), who led the weekend, and thanks also to our Rotex and Rebounders (previous outbound exchange students) that helped make the weekend a huge success.
If your club is hosting a student, we encourage you to take the time to sit and talk with them - they are all great ambassadors.
Meanwhile many clubs have started the process of promoting Youth Exchange and recruiting students in their community for the 2027-28 exchange year. If you have any questions regarding Youth Exchange please contact Youth Exchange Chair Marcel Gervais, D7815RYEChair@gmail.com
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Honouring Indigenous Peoples - Youth-2-Youth Experience
Ready to be an agent for change?
Y2Y brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth from across Canada to learn about Indigenous history, traditions, and heritage, share in meaningful cultural exchange, and build connections that last.
Together, youth will embrace diversity, deepen their understanding of Indigenous perspectives, and take part in reconciliation in action.
Edmonton, Alberta
May 9-15, 2027
Ages 15-17, currently in Grades 9-11
50 youth chosen (25 Indigenous, 25 non-Indigenous)
Best of all, it's completely free! Travel, accommodations, food, and museum admission are all covered.
Apply by October 30, 2026
Know a student who'd be a great fit? Share this post with them!
| | In this HIP newsletter: Hello HIP Allies! In this issue of our newsletter, we bring to you: - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- Walk With The Earth Winnipeg
- HIP National Youth-to-Youth Alberta 2027
- Message from the Executive Director
- Upcoming Events
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| Beyond September 30: Ways to Take Action on Truth and Reconciliation
This Wednesday, Sept. 30, Canadians will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour residential school survivors, remember the children who never came home, reflect on the ongoing impacts of colonialism, and celebrate the resilience of Indigenous peoples.
Wearing orange is an important gesture. But reconciliation is built through action and the day is a good moment to ask what comes next.
Here are a few meaningful ways to get started.
Learn. Read a book by an Indigenous author, watch a documentary, or listen to an Indigenous podcast. Explore the history of the treaties and residential schools in the place you live and find out whose traditional territory you're on.
Listen. Attend a local ceremony, community gathering or event led by Indigenous Peoples, and take the time to hear Survivors and Elders in their own words. Go to a pow wow if there's one near you and follow the guidance of the hosts.
Talk about it. Share what you're learning with family, friends and colleagues. Reconciliation grows when these conversations move beyond a single day and into our everyday lives.
Support Indigenous-led work. Buy from Indigenous businesses and artists and donate to Indigenous-led organizations doing this work every day.
Bring it into your community. Encourage your workplace, school, service club or faith group to make a lasting commitment, whether that's learning together, building relationships with local Indigenous organizations, or supporting youth programs.
At HIP, we believe reconciliation is built through relationships, and that young people are leading the way. Through our youth-to-youth programs, Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth learn side-by-side, building the understanding and trust that reconciliation depends on.
Make a difference today. HIP's programs rely on individual donations to grow and reach more young people. Your gift helps bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth together to learn, lead and build lasting relationships.
This Sept. 30, wear orange, take time to reflect, and then take one step further. Reconciliation is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a part to play.
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| | | | Two Solitudes. One Fire.
Let's Build This Together. Reconciliation doesn’t happen in boardrooms or policy papers. It happens between people - one relationship, one gathering, one honest conversation at a time. That’s the work HIP has been doing for twelve years. Over the next five years, HIP is raising $2.5 million to expand nationally, strengthen organizational capacity, and support the next 250 youth through the Y2Y Experience. LEARN MORE |
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| Winnipeg Walks With the Earth, Rain or Shine
On Saturday, Sept. 26, the Walk With the Earth team in Winnipeg moved forward with the event despite some challenging weather. Commitment isn't really tested when the skies are blue and everything goes according to plan. It's tested when there's a hurdle in front of you, and you decide the work still matters enough to keep going.
Participants were welcomed by writer, editor and professor Niigaan Sinclair, who served as guest speaker, and Jordan Bighorn, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Indigenous Excellence in Education, Education and Early Childhood Learning in Manitoba, who drummed. Together, they invited everyone to reflect on community.
There may be something wonderfully Canadian about the day, too. The weather changes. The plans change. You look outside, shake your head, grab the appropriate jacket, and carry on.
About Walk With The Earth
Youth-led, relationship-driven and impact-focused, Walk With The Earth brings Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth together to lead change, caring for the Earth while advancing Truth and Reconciliation through action, learning and shared responsibility. The walk raises funds for HIP's Youth-to-Youth Programs and brings community together in a shared commitment to caring for the Earth.
The movement is built on partnership. Youth work side-by-side across cultures and communities, guided by Indigenous knowledge, respect for the land, and a shared commitment to a healthier, more sustainable future. It is youth leadership in motion, reconciliation practiced rather than promised, and environmental stewardship rooted in relationship.
The Winnipeg walk follows Walk With the Earth events held earlier this year in Whitby and Calgary.
Thank you to HIP's Samantha Westlands, our Rotary partners at the Rotary Club of Winnipeg, the Rotary Club of Winnipeg-Charleswood, and the Rotary Club of Transcona, our volunteers, and everyone who came out and made the day possible.
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| Jordan Bighorn (left) and Niigaan Sinclair opened Walk With The Earth Winnipeg. We are grateful for their support of WWTE and HIP. |
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| Applications Open for HIP Y2Y 2027 in Alberta
HIP is inviting youth across Canada to apply for the National Youth-to-Youth Truth and Reconciliation Experience, taking place in Alberta in May 2027.
This week-long gathering brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth from across the country to explore the links between truth, reconciliation and the environment, using land-based activities as a bridge.
Participants will take part in hands-on experiences, creative practice, ceremony, drumming and dancing, and will have plenty of opportunities to meet and learn from elders and other experts.
Our hope is to build self-confidence, leadership skills, enduring connections and an appreciation of diversity among everyone involved.
The experience is cost-free for selected participants, including travel, accommodations, meals and admission to facilities such as museums. Only 50 youth will be chosen. Participants will also complete pre-event online learning sessions to prepare.
Who can apply? Youth who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, aged 15 to 17 at the time of the event, and enrolled in a Canadian secondary school.
Application deadline: October 30, 2026. Selected applicants will be interviewed and notified by November 27, 2026.
Know a young person who would thrive in this experience? Please share this opportunity with them, their family and their school.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES |
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September 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation / Orange Shirt Day
October 30 - deadline to apply for HIP's 2027 Youth-to-Youth National Gathering |
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