Young Voices was developed by the Sunrise Rotary 21st Century Foundation.

Background
With appreciation of the International Rotary ideal of advancing international understanding, goodwill and peace via a global fellowship, the Westport Sunrise Rotary 21st Century foundation leadership looked around in our own back yard and has elected to advance this admirable Rotary ideal by starting here, in our own community.

The Westport Sunrise Rotary Club vision celebrates the differences among people and promotes a greater understanding between diverse members of our population. The program has been named "Young Voices".

Mission Statement
To promote greater understanding and respect for differences among people while preparing our community’s youth to prosper in a world, which is far more diverse than the communities in which they are living. Young Voices programs will receive Westport Sunrise Rotary financial and hands-on support. The activities will encourage our youth to appreciate and embrace diversity. The programs will enable goal sharing, creating positive interactions between students from Westport/Weston and youth of varied physical, cultural, religious, ethnic, economic, geographical, geopolitical origins and backgrounds.

The corpus of the 21st Century Endowment Fund will be increased annually through grants, bequests and fundraising events enabling the implementation of "Young Voices" programs.

RISING YOUNG VOICES (restated 2/6/2009)

Rising Young Voices is a key Westport Sunrise Rotary focus that provides a variety of programs and resources for Westport area and International youths so that they are better prepared to be successful in their lives, careers and contributions in advancing world understanding, goodwill and peace.  Rising Young Voices is based on the five Rotary core values, as follows:

1) Service, 2) Fellowship, 3) Diversity, 4) Integrity, and 5) Leadership.

Rising Young Voices is not a committee.  It is an umbrella name to show how much the Westport Sunrise Rotary does for youths, here and around the world, for the purpose of communicating to the community about the enormous resources and efforts that our Club directs to Youth Programs.  All current committees remain the same ... in their membership, mission, roles and responsibilities. 

Here is a list of activities that are currently under of this Rising Young Voices umbrella:

Community Service, Student of the Month, Interact, Make A Difference Day, Campership, Westport DHS Chamber Music Central, Evergreen Network, Project Return, Smart Kids with LD, Susan Fund, Vocational Service RYLA Conference, New Generations Conference, District 4-Way Speech Contest, Diversity, WAC - Art of Filmmaking, International Service World Affairs Seminar, UN Day, Builders Beyond Borders, HEROS – Benin, Africa, Youth Education, Egypt, Textbook Library, Haiti, Scholarships, Transitions, Student Exchange Program