ABOUT OUR PROGRAM
Rotary International is known as a premier youth exchange program in the world today. Post-exchange evaluations done worldwide have consistently indicated the highest degree of approval and success from participants in Rotary’s exchange programs.
The Rotarians and Rotex in District 5100 are eager to help our students have a successful exchange year. Please review all of the information provided in the following handouts/sections and direct any questions to your local Rotary Club or District Youth Exchange Committee. We are here to help.
Rotary International’s long-term exchange program (LTEP) began in Europe in the years between the two World Wars. It has since expanded to include students and their families in over 120 countries.
The first documented exchange dates to 1927, when the Rotary Club of Nice, France, initiated exchanges with European students from other countries. Seeing the success of this program, clubs in other countries quickly followed suit. In 1939, exchanges between clubs in California and a handful of Latin American countries started to take place. Clubs in the Eastern US followed suit, starting in 1958. In 1972, the RI Board of Directors agreed to recommend Youth Exchange to clubs worldwide as a worthwhile international activity promoting global peace and understanding.
Administered by Rotary Clubs, Districts, and Multidistrict Groups, the RYE program today involves more than 128 countries and over 9000 students each year (Rotary International 2019).
WHY ROTARY’S PROGRAM IS UNIQUE
The most powerful force in the promotion of international understanding and peace is exposure to different cultures. The world becomes a smaller, friendlier place when we learn that all people – regardless of nationality – desire the same basic things: a safe, comfortable environment that allows for a rich and satisfying life for themselves and for their children. Youth Exchange provides thousands of young people with the opportunity to meet people from other lands and to experience their cultures, thus planting the seeds for a lifetime of international understanding.
- Communities all over the world have much to gain from the continued success of the youth exchange program.
- Students learn firsthand about the challenges and accomplishments of people in other countries.
- Young people mature as individuals as their concept of the world grows.
- Host clubs, families, and their communities enjoy extended, friendly contact with someone from a different culture.
- Exchange students return home with a broader view of the world and a deeper understanding of themselves.
- Young adults assume leadership roles that are shaped, in part, by what they learned during their exchange experiences.
Rotary Youth Exchange builds peace one young person at a time. Living in a foreign country has a powerful effect on a student’s maturing process. Their youth exchange experience will be priceless, something that can’t be replicated any other way.
WHO IS A ROTARY EXCHANGE STUDENT?
During the student’s exchange year, they will meet many people who only know their home country through the lens of a movie or TV camera. As an exchange student, one of the student’s roles is to help people change these misconceptions. To do that, the student must understand our country, our culture, our government, and our politics.
A Rotary Youth Exchange student is an “Ambassador”, and as an “Ambassador,” the student should remember this is a 24/7 job for the entire exchange. There will be challenges and rewards. Others have gone before and left an imprint — the imprint the student leaves may be a lasting one! If the student before was a great exchange student, then keep up the good work and even take it to another level of positive impression. If the student in the prior year had some challenges, then consider investing energy in restoring trust and goodwill for yourself, and all future RYE students you represent!
The Student’s Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude are important. They will have many roles & responsibilities.
As an Ambassador, the student represents:
- Country – The United States
- State – State of Oregon
- Local Community
- Sponsor District Ambassador for Rotary District 5100
- Sponsor Club AmbassadorAmba
- Rotary International and Rotary Youth Exchange
- Family
- S E L F!
BENEFITS OF BEING A ROTARY EXCHANGE STUDENT
Exchange students unlock their true potential to:
- Develop lifelong leadership skills
- Learn a new language and culture
- Build lasting friendships with young people from around the world
- Become a global citizen
- Differentiates you from other students in the college application process
ELIGIBILITY
- The Rotary Youth Exchange program is open to high school students, or those who have just graduated, between the ages of 15 and 18½ on departure. It does not matter whether your parents are members of a Rotary Club – the program is open to children of Rotarians and non-Rotarians alike. Rotary Youth Exchange inspires young leaders to serve as catalysts for peace and social justice in their local communities and throughout the world, long after their exchanges end. This program is possible because of the dedication, leadership, and passion of the tens of thousands of volunteers — Rotary members and nonmembers alike — who make this unique program so successful.
- Exchange student candidates must be outgoing, self-confident, friendly, adaptable, adventurous, and willing to learn a foreign language, with above-average grades in school. The application form will require you to tell about yourself and your family, and provide references from school teachers and administrators.
- Candidates are ages 15-18.5 and are leaders in their schools and communities.
HOW TO APPLY
- Contact your local Rotary club to see what exchange opportunities are available and what the application process involves.
GENERAL PROGRAM COSTS
There is no “central Rotary office” through which these exchanges are organized. All transactions for the exchange are handled directly from District to District. Each District follows the Rotary International Program Rules and Conditions of Exchange described in the Long-Term application. Every District provides support and student events appropriate to its locale.
The cost is very reasonable since the Program is administered by Rotary volunteers. The students are guests of Rotary Clubs and the hosting families. Living expenses are provided at no cost to exchange students. Students will need to have some funds from home to pay for non-living expenses. Exchange costs vary by destination. All exchanges require a passport and round-trip airfare to the exchange site as well as spending money during the exchange. Room and board are provided, as well as any school fees. Each program varies, but students are usually responsible for:
- Round-trip airfare
- Travel Insurance
- Travel documents (such as passports and visas)
- Spending money and any additional travel or tours
Rotary Clubs sponsor this program as a reasonably affordable way for students to be able to experience an exchange year abroad. Each Rotary Club is expected to provide a monthly allowance to all Inbound Students. Some Rotary Clubs also provide financial assistance to Outbound Candidates and Students. Each Outbound Candidate should ask their sponsoring Rotary Club if any financial assistance is available for their exchange.
For more detailed information about costs, Financial Considerations