It has often been said that the future of our country and our world is in the hands of our young people. With that in mind, Prior Lake Rotary has worked towards a robust youth program.
Model United Nations, Students Taking a Renewed Interest in the Value of Education (STRIVE), and Camp Enterprise are a few of the most visible programs our Rotary Club supports.
Model United Nations
Model UN is a simulation of the United Nations General Assembly and its other multilateral bodies. Students act as ambassadors while debating topics such as gender equality, climate action, global health, and more. This year's Model UN was held at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Twenty-three students attended for $38 per student, and two teachers from Prior Lake Schools accompanied them.
Each year, UNA-MN hosts fall and spring conferences, during which students from across the state debate important, real-world issues that the United Nations faces.
Prior Lake Rotary financially supports the students and their advisors by funding registration costs and transportation to and from the event. This is an opportunity for our club to provide a real-world, hands-on experience for students to learn to advocate for issues, work in partnership with others, compromise, and understand how interconnected the world's countries are.
Camp Enterprise
Prior Lake Rotary was fortunate to send five students to Rotary District 5950 annual Camp Enterprise this year. The Camp is held at Maple Lake, MN's beautiful Camp Courage facilities.
Camp Enterprise is a Rotary-sponsored and coordinated camp designed for high school juniors and seniors who aspire to or are considering a future business career. This year's event took place from October 31 through November 2. The cost for each student was $450. This included transportation, lodging, meals, keynote speakers, chaperones, and activities.
Each year, 60-70 students attend. The students are divided into random groups and assigned to create, market, and pitch a new product. At the end of the week, a “Shark Tank”-style
judging is held!
On the final day, five $1,000 scholarships are awarded to students with the best, most well-thought-out, and presented ideas. One of the Prior Lake-sponsored students, Kaiya Hoben, was awarded one of the scholarships!
We had outstanding feedback from the five students who attended from Prior Lake. The five students are all seniors at PLHS and attend MN CAPS on the business career path. The Alexandria Rotary Club founded Camp Enterprise, a long-standing Rotary-sponsored and facilitated event whose origins date back to the late 1970s.
Lots of fun, hands-on business activities and new friendships were made.
STRIVE 2023-2024
Prior Lake Rotary Strive Program, or Students Taking a Renewed Interest in the Value of Education, supports students who, for whatever reason, have faced challenges in completing their secondary education. These students return to school determined to graduate and continue their education.
Prior Lake Rotary supports these efforts by providing mentors from the club who meet regularly with students. With the help of mentors, students work toward credit recovery, higher attendance, and on-time graduation.
During the 2024-2025 school year, we paired 25 students with 25 mentors. Members will meet 19 times, mixing speakers, goal setting, and conversation. We also added a Holiday Celebration at Fong’s Restaurant, two highway clean-up sessions, and a college visit to Normandale Community College.
The dedication of the mentors, mentees, and District personnel ensures that STRIVE will continue well into the future.
Harry Algyer- Prior Lake Rotary
This article was completed with contributions from Mary Haugen, Lance Smith, and Tim Bell.

Students attending Model United Nations

A photo op at Camp Enterprise for the students who were awarded scholarships. Kaiya Hoben is pictured in the middle.