The LONG and short of it - A brief overview of the Rotary Exchange Program
The LONG
Exchange students spend a full academic year with one or more host families beginning in late summer. Host parents provide room and meals as well as support and guidance. The host Rotary Club provides a limited monthly spending allowance, counseling, and supervision.
The SHORTIn a Summer Cultural Exchange, students spend three to eight weeks in their host country traveling. Exchange varieties include group exchanges, reciprocal hosting, and hosting only are available. Each one provides an excellent opportunity to experience a new culture in a brief period of time.
COMPAREMany other Exchange Programs are out there. Rotary is much less expensive because Rotary's exchange programs are staffed by Rotary volunteers backed by Rotary's extensive international organization and planning. but Rotary's real advantage is that our supervision and guidance are simply superb! Wherever there is a Rotary Exchange Student, there are local counselors to assist and advise. We take our surrogate parenting responsibilities very seriously! If you're even considering other programs, be sure to compare Rotary!
READY FOR ADVENTURE?You can make a difference - a world of difference. When you step off the airplane as an exchange student in another country, you have the opportunity to:
- become part of another culture
- Learn another language
- Gain confidence and maturity
- broaden your view of the world
- Learn about yourself
- Meet people, make new friends
- Experience new places and cultures
- Be a youth ambassador
- Application fee, insurance, passport/visa costs, airline travel, clothing, extra spending money, and some trip and tour costs;
- Orientation and/or processing fees which will vary from district to district and will be explained;
- Reasonable fee to approved travel agency for travel planning services (obtaining visas & providing country specific information);
- All extra costs for such items as special school trips and activities or optional extensive sight seeing trips around the country (amount dependent on limits set by parents/student).
- All basic costs like school tuition (where applicable), a home and food;
- Transportation to school and some activities;
- A monthly allowance (varies by country).
Every effort is made to place students in the country of their preference. Sometimes, however, a host country may not have enough openings available for the number of applicants or an applicant may fail to meet the foreign language proficiency requirements that are applicable to exchanges to certain countries. (Click here for more on language restrictions).
Rotary sends exchange students each year to virtually every politically stable country in the world including, for example, all European countries, Japan, India, most of the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, most Central and South American countries, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and many African countries.
AFTER I RETURN I WILL ...- Attend the re-entry orientation for students and parents.
- Include my exchange information on resumes and university applications.
- Share my exchange experiences with family, friends, Rotary, school, church and my community.
- Complete a short evaluation and comment form if requested by my local Rotary district.
Every year, almost 10,000 young people from 66 countries see the world the way it is best seen - from the inside out - through Rotary's Youth Exchange program.
As a Rotary Exchange student, you may learn a new language but you will certainly learn a new way of living - and a great deal about yourself. The people you meet will learn too - about your country, and your culture and ideas. As an unofficial ambassador you will bring the world closer together and make new friends in the process. /
SO WHAT IS ROTARY?
Rotary International is an organization of business and professional leaders dedicated to humanitarian service, ethical standards in business and to promoting world understanding and peace through programs like Rotary Youth Exchange.
With more than 28,000 clubs and almost 1.2 million members in 155 different countries, Rotary has, since 1929, built one of the largest and, we think, the best youth exchange programs almost entirely with committed volunteers! If you'd like more information on Rotary, visit the official Rotary International web site at www.rotary.org.
INTERVIEW SELECTIONRotary Youth Exchange is for you if you are a high school student with an out-going, pleasant personality between the ages of 15 1/2 and 18 1/2 who has demonstrated above average academic achievement. Students must also be adaptable and flexible when adjusting to new and unanticipated situations that commonly arise when living in a different culture.
Applications are due and interviews are held at the local club level in the fall. Final selection at district level occurs in the winter. Mailings and concentrated orientation prepare the student and parents for both outbound and inbound experiences. Participants depart in mid-summer and return at the end of the academic year. (Three to eight week summer exchanges are scheduled on a less stringent basis.) SIGN ME UP!
Rotary's Youth Exchange Programs are open to young men and women between the ages of 15 1/2-18 1/2 (19 for summer exchange), and to the sons and daughters of Rotarians and non-Rotarians alike.
Applicants are selected by a sponsoring Rotary club on the basis of a written application and a personal interview. (A copy of the application will soon be available online).
Contact a member of your local Rotary club for assistance in submitting your application. (Your school principal or superintendant may be a member).
Personal interviews with both students and their parents as well as group orientations are mandatory
If you want to know more about Rotary and/or would like to join a Rotary Club in your area please EMAIL US.