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Established as an RI Structured Program in 1971, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) promotes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth through intensive training programs for young people that often take the shape of a seminar, workshop, or camp.
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The first International RYLA was in 2001, immediately before the RI Convention in San Antonio, Texas, USA. International RYLAs have also been held in Brisbane, Australia; Chicago; Helsingborg, Sweden; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles; and Rugby, England. The 2010 event will be in Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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At the 2009 International RYLA, 26 countries and geographical areas were represented.
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Participants at the 2009 International RYLA learned about Aquabox, launched in 1992 to provide safe drinking water and aid items in the wake of disasters. An official project of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland and District 1220 (England), Aquabox is managed by the Rotary Club of Wirksworth, Derbyshire.
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Each Aquabox can be used to purify up to 1,100 liters of polluted water, equal to about 4,650 cups -- enough for a family of four to drink nearly 40 cups total per day for about four months.