ROTARY YOUTH

EXCHANGE

An Opportunity of a Lifetime

What is Rotary?• Rotary is a non-profit international

service organization• Formed in 1905 by four men in

Chicago• It has now grown to over• 1,200,000 members worldwide• 33,000 clubs• 520 districts (groups of clubs)• 200 countries and geographical areas

Question #4

What Does Rotary Do?• Rotary’s service projects for the world

address such critical issues as:• Poverty• Hunger• Illiteracy• Medical needs (artificial limbs,

wheelchairs, eyeglasses, eye surgery, and many others)

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What Does Rotary Do?(continued)

• Eradication of polio• Providing safe drinking water to

citizens of developing countries• Services to our local communities• Services for our youth

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Rotary Programs for Youth• Interact (high school); Rotaract

(college)• Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA)– For high school juniors

• Rotary Future Vision Scholarship ($31,000)

• Graduate year abroad at a university

• Rotary Youth Exchange– For high school students eager to

be ambassadors

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What is Rotary Youth Exchange?

• Rotary Youth Exchange is a program that provides thousands of young people with the opportunity to meet people from other lands and to experience their cultures.

• Each year, more than 8,000 students from over 80 countries travel abroad on an exchange through Rotary.

• The program plants the seeds for a lifetime of international understanding.

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Who Administers the Program?

• Rotary Youth Exchange is administered by members of Rotary Clubs.

• All persons involved in administering the program are non-paid volunteers.

• .

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Why Rotary Youth Exchange is #1

• Careful interviews• Thorough orientations• Local support group (Rotary club) • Activities provided by Rotary• Low cost

Qualifications of a Rotary Youth Exchange student

• High school student ages 16-18• Good student with above-average grades• Willingness to adapt, learn a new language,

and learn a new culture• Initiative to get involved in activities• Willingness to speak to groups• Attitude of giving to others• In short, have the traits of an ambassador

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Youth Exchange Program Summary

• Two Programs• Short Term Program• Long Term Program

• Opportunity to experience new culture• Opportunity to be an ambassador• Opportunity to make friends for a

lifetime

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Short Term Program

• One on one exchange during the summer with another student

• No school attendance• Hosted by exchange students’

families• Normally 3 to 4 weeks in each

country

Long Term Program • Full academic school year• Hosted by two to three families• Supported by host Rotary Club and

two Rotary counselors: one here and one in the host country

Long Term Program What Will The Student Do?

• Live with two or three host families• Attend high school• Make friends• Get to know the area of the country in which

he or she lives• Obtain a greater understanding of the host

country’s culture• Become fluent in the language of the host

country• Speak at Rotary Club meetings

What Are the Student’s Responsibilities?

• Abide by all program rules of the host Rotary club and district

• Accept the supervision of the host district, host club, and host family

• Act as an ambassador for the sponsoring club, district, state, and country

• Be open to new experiences and cultural differences

Major Rules - The Six Ds!• No drinking of alcohol• No use of illegal drugs• No driving of any type of vehicle• No serious dating• No downloading of objectionable

materials• No addition of body decorations

(piercings or tattoos) while abroad

Where Will The Students Go?• Our Rotary District 5890 has working relationships with the following

countries:

Argentina/Paraguay France Sweden* Japan

Germany* Taiwan* England**

Belgium* Italy* Thailand

Poland Brazil Spain*

The Netherlands* Denmark Ecuador

*Also Short Term

**Short Term only

Costs of the RYE Program:• Short Term - $2,000

• - Air fare• - Insurance• - Incidental costs

abroad• Costs for hosting

here for student from abroad

• Long Term - $6,000*• - Air Fare• - Insurance• - Orientations• - Language camp• - Monthly

allowance• - Blazer, pins,

slides

*Host club provides an allowance.

Does it really cost $6,000 to send a student abroad for a school year?• How much might be saved while the

student is abroad for a school year?• Cost of food for about 11 months• Cost of car insurance (premium could be

reduced while the student is gone)• Cost of gasoline for the student for 11

months• Other day-to-day expenses for the student

How Can the Student Work the Long-term Exchange into High School and College

Plans?• Go before completing high school OR go after

completing high school.• With careful planning with your counselor, it is

possible to take required courses in advance so that when you return you can graduate with your high school class.

• If you have been accepted to a college, it is possible to defer admission for one year. Can defer scholarships also.

• Since people enter college at different times in their lives, there is no inherent disadvantage to entering a year later.

Benefits To The Students• During their time abroad, the students

• learn to manage their time without mom and dad.

• mature considerably. • learn another language.• learn to think independently and creatively.• learn to adapt to new and unusual

circumstances.• learn the nuances of another culture.

Willowbrook Rotary Club’s Long Term &Short Term Students for 2013/14

SHORT TERM FOR SUMMER 2013• Cy-Creek – 1 (Germany)• Klein - 2 (Spain, UK)• Klein Oak – 4 (Spain, Taiwan, UK)

LONG TERM FOR 2013/14 SCHOOL YEARCy-Creek – 1 (Taiwan) Klein Oak 1 (Japan)Cy-Woods - 1 (Italy)Klein Collins - 2 (Belgium, Spain)

Benefits To The Students(continued)

• Learn to make presentations to groups of people.

• If they return to complete high school, they can• help other students learn about another

culture and another language.• do better in school because of personal

growth• If they enter college,

• place out of many hours of foreign language• perform better because of personal growth

Key Dates

• October 28/November 7 Parent/Student Information Meetings

• November 16 – Club Interviews• Saturday and Sunday, December 7 & 8 District 5890 interviews; overnight

Christmas party with other applicants and inbound students from across the world