District 5330 Avenue of Service
Vocational Service
Service through profession — ethics, mentorship, and lifting up the next generation of leaders, artists, and professionals across our communities and the world.
Vocational Service calls every Rotarian to work with integrity and contribute their professional expertise to the problems and needs of society. In District 5330 this avenue powers four signature programs — the Four-Way Test Speech Contest, the Art for Peace contest, the Music Competition, and our Vocational Training Teams — each one a way for Rotarians to mentor young people, recognize ethical leadership, and share hard-won skills with partner districts around the world.
District Vocational Service Committee
The District chairs behind each Vocational Service program — from the Four-Way Test Speech Contest to the Music Competition, Art for Peace, and Ethics.
Built on the Four-Way Test
Every program on this page is grounded in the Rotary Four-Way Test — the 24-word ethical compass Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor wrote in 1932 and Rotary International adopted in 1943. Whether a student is writing a speech, painting a canvas, performing a piece of music, or a professional is training counterparts overseas, the same four questions guide the work.
Of the things we think, say, or do:
- 1Is it the TRUTH?
- 2Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- 3Will it build GOODWILL & BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- 4Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Four ways to serve through your vocation
Each program below mentors young people, recognizes ethical leadership, or shares professional expertise. Click any card to jump to details.
Four-Way Test Speech Contest
High-school speakers across the District take on real decisions in light of the Four-Way Test — now in its 50th year.
Art for Peace
A District-wide visual-art contest inviting young people to express peace, service, and the Four-Way Test through their own work.
Music Competition
Vocal and instrumental performers from District 5330 high schools compete for recognition and scholarship support.
Vocational Training Team
Teams of professionals travel between Rotary districts to share expertise — from medicine to water systems to early-childhood education.
Four-Way Test Speech Contest
The Rotary Four-Way Test Speech Contest originated in 1976 under the guidance of District Governor George Petro of Yucca Valley, when our district was Rotary District 533. From that inspiring project, the contest was adopted by Rotary clubs around the world — and it remains one of District 5330’s signature vocational programs 50 years later.
Each year, high-school students from across Riverside and San Bernardino counties write and deliver original speeches that examine a real decision through the lens of the Four-Way Test. Club-level contests feed area finals, which feed the District championship.
Art for Peace
The District 5330 Art for Peace contest invites young artists across our communities to express what peace, service, and ethical action mean to them through original visual art. Inspired by Rotary International’s commitment to peace as one of its seven Areas of Focus, the contest celebrates the creative voice of the next generation and gives Rotarians a meaningful way to recognize it.
Submissions are typically accepted across multiple age categories, judged by a panel of artists and Rotarians, and recognized at the District Conference. Winning pieces are displayed across the District and shared on this site.
2026 contest details
Rules, submission window, age categories, and judging criteria for the 2026 contest will be posted here. Check back soon or contact the program chair below.
Music Competition
The District 5330 Music Competition recognizes outstanding young vocal and instrumental performers from high schools across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Like the Speech Contest, the Music Competition begins at the club level — with local Rotary clubs identifying talent in their own communities — and culminates in a District-level final with cash awards and scholarship support.
The competition is open to high-school musicians performing classical, jazz, or contemporary repertoire. Contestants are judged on technique, musicality, interpretation, and stage presence by a panel of music educators and professional performers.
2026 competition details
Audition format, repertoire requirements, registration deadlines, and the District final date will be posted here. Check back soon or contact the program chair below.
Vocational Training Team (VTT)
A Vocational Training Team is a group of professionals who travel either to or from District 5330 — funded by The Rotary Foundation — to train counterparts in their field. Teams have included physicians and nurses, water-and-sanitation engineers, early-childhood educators, agricultural specialists, and disaster-response trainers.
VTTs are a flagship part of Rotary’s Global Grants program: they sit at the intersection of Vocational Service (sharing professional expertise) and International Service (building peace through international understanding). A team is typically four-to-six professionals plus a Rotarian team leader, deployed for two-to-six weeks of hands-on training.
How to get involved
- Bring a need. If your club has a partner district with a specific training need, the VTT model may fit.
- Bring expertise. If you are a professional willing to travel and teach in your field, contact the program chair to be added to the District’s roster.
- Bring funding. VTTs are typically funded through Rotary Foundation Global Grants — learn more.
Bring Vocational Service to your club
Whether you’d like to sponsor a student speaker, judge an art submission, host a music finalist, or join a Vocational Training Team — we’ll help you connect with the right program and the right people.