Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment
A weekend residential program for young people aged 13 to 17. Three days of team challenges, real conversations and new friendships, run by young leaders who have been exactly where you are.
What RYPEN is
RYPEN stands for the Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment. It is about team building, connection and leadership rather than academic achievement. Over the weekend, participants step outside their comfort zones, build confidence and resilience through hands-on activities, strengthen friendships, and discover their own leadership potential.
There are no marks, no rankings and nothing to prepare. Everyone arrives on the same footing.
Watch
The weekend
Participants arrive on the Saturday and spend the long weekend living and working together as one group. It is deliberately non-competitive, so young people can take risks, try new things and surprise themselves.
Saturday
Most participants turn up not knowing anyone. The first session is built to fix that fast: names, teams, and the sort of activities that make it impossible to stay on the edge of the group. By the evening, the room sounds completely different to how it did at drop-off.
Sunday
The core of the weekend. A mix of facilitated sessions and hands-on challenges: team building, group problem solving, communication exercises, goal setting, and honest conversations. Interwoven with those are the comfort-zone stretchers, from outdoor group challenges to collaborative evenings.
Monday
The final morning brings the weekend together and sends everyone home with something they can actually use. Participants leave having made genuine friendships and with a clearer sense of what they are capable of. Many stay in touch long after the camp.
One rule worth knowing
Phones are handed in at the start of the camp and given back at the end. It is the rule participants are most nervous about beforehand, and the one they most often say made the weekend work.
Without a screen to retreat into, people talk to the person next to them. Nobody is filming anyone, nobody is checking what they are missing at home, and nobody is being judged on anything except how they treat each other for three days. It puts everyone on exactly the same footing from the first hour.
Who it's for
RYPEN is often most valuable for young people who are capable but under-confident, or who would benefit from stepping outside their usual social group in a safe, supportive setting.
Some of the strongest outcomes come from young people who simply have not yet had the chance to see what they are capable of. You do not need to be a school captain, a sports star or an obvious leader. You just need to be willing to give the weekend a go.
The camp in action
In their words
I came into the camp thinking I wasn't going to have fun, but as it went on it was really good. I would recommend the camp to all of my friends.Participant, RYPEN North 2026
A huge step out of my comfort zone, but rewarding, and I'm glad I did it.Participant, RYPEN North 2026
The long weekend was better than I expected. I made so many new friends and I have learnt so many new skills. I want to go again.Participant, RYPEN North 2026
Start here
For young people and families. What the weekend costs, what you need before you start, and the step-by-step application process.
How to applyFor clubs and Youth Directors. Finding candidates, covering the cost, endorsing an applicant and following up afterwards.
Information for clubsFor teachers, counsellors and youth workers. Which students get the most out of RYPEN, and how to put a family in touch with us.
Information for schoolsCome from anywhere in the district
RYPEN is open to any young person aged 13 to 17 living anywhere across Rotary District 9660: roughly Morisset in the south to Woolgoolga in the north, and west to the state borders. You do not need a Rotary connection, a club nomination or an invitation to apply.
RYPEN North runs over the June long weekend and RYPEN South over the October long weekend. They are named for where the camp is held, not for who can come: a young person from the far west is as welcome at Tea Gardens as one from the Mid-North Coast is at Bonny Hills. Apply for whichever camp suits your family.