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Finalist in the 2002 "Best of the Rotary Web" Competition

Our District 6970 Youth Exchange website has been selected as one of the finalists in the 2002 "Best of the Rotary Web" competition. 

This annual event is sponsored by the International Computer Users Fellowship of Rotarians (ICUFR) and Rotarians on the Internet (ROTI), and recognizes the most outstanding websites of Rotary regions, districts, and clubs, Rotaract districts and clubs, Interact clubs, and "the rest". Our site has been nominated in the "Best of the Rest" category, the only Youth Exchange site among the finalists (there is no separate category for Youth Exchange). 

To see the list of all the finalists, with links to the sites, click here. Voting will be done by members of the ICUFR and ROTI, along with the webmasters of all nominated sites. Winners will be announced on May 12.

D6970 Youth Exchange Chair Al Kalter also servers as the site's webmaster. Before coming to Jacksonville in 1999, Al also received a "Best of the Rotary Web" nomination for his former club's site, and the website of his former district's Youth Exchange program shared top honors in the competition in 1998, when Al was that committee's Chair.

Candidates Selected for 2002-03

The District 6970 Youth Exchange Committee has selected two area students as long-term outbound candidates for 2002-03, and four others for participation in the short-term program in summer 2002.

Accepted into the long-term program are Tierney Elison and Shaina Moore. Tierney, a sophomore at Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns County, will spend a year in Brazil. Shaina, a junior at Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, is heading for France. Their sponsoring Rotary clubs are Mandarin and South Jacksonville, respectively.

Those students who will spend part of the summer overseas through the short-term program are Adrienne Divertie, Katherine Kelley, Sarah Overton, and Mineaux Saunders. Adrienne will be going to Germany, and is sponsored by the Mandarin Rotary Club. Katherine and Sarah are both Italy-bound, sponsored by Gainesville and West Jacksonville clubs respectively. Mineaux's sponsor club is Flagler Beach, and she is heading for Brazil.

After a series of orientations, the students will begin their exchange adventures this summer. The short-term students and their families will also host a student in return, from the same families that they will be staying with overseas. Rotarians in the sponsoring clubs are encouraged to get to know these "ambassadors of Rotary", both the ones going out and the ones coming in.

We congratulate all the students on being selected, and we know you'll be creating memories that will last a lifetime!

Long Term Outbounds		Short Term (Summer) Outbounds
Tierney Elison To Brazil	Shaina Moore To France	Adrienne Divertie To Germany	Katherine Kelley To Italy	Sarah Overton To Italy	Mineaux Saunders To Brazil

Outbound Candidates Invited to Informational Meeting

Area teens who are considering participation in the Rotary Youth Exchange program in 2002-03 are urged to attend a meeting on Tuesday evening, December 18th, at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville. This informational meeting is for students and parents interested in either long-term or short-term exchange opportunities. The meeting will start at 7:00 PM, and is expected to end at about 8:30 PM.

Mandarin High School is located on Greenland Road, between Old St. Augustine Road and Phillips Highway. Students planning to attend are asked to notify District 6970 Youth Exchange Chair Al Kalter, at akalter@mediaone.net. Due in part to the September terrorist attacks and the subsequent world situation, some deadlines are being postponed, and long-term applications will now be accepted until December 31. Contact Mr. Kalter with any questions.

Disney Trip A Success - It's a Small World After All!

District 6970 Inbound Exchange Students joined dozens of other Rotary inbounds at Disney World on December 6-9, for a weekend of fun, friendship, and international camaraderie. Details.

MSNBC: Students Still Hungry to Study Abroad

Those involved in Rotary Youth Exchange, and other exchange programs as well, are discovering that students may be more interested than ever in exchange opportunities, as a way for them to "do something" for the world after the September terrorist attacks. Read the article.

Words of Support, Love, and Caring

In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, we were quite pleased and touched to receive many messages of support and love from our friends and colleagues the the international Rotary Youth Exchange community. You are invited to read some of them.

Inbounds Gather at LINK Weekend

The fifth annual Link Weekend took place in Ocala, September 7-9, and our inbound students participated with enthusiasm. This event, organized by Paul and Elaine Zirakian and the members of the Ocala-Silver Springs Rotary Club, brings together exchange students and Rotary Foundation Scholars from throughout the region, to get acquainted, meet the Rotarians, and discover Florida's "Horse Country".

Appropriately, the group spent Saturday visiting a local horse farm and going for rides. For some, it was a first-time opportunity. The weekend started with a barbecue at the home of Rotarian Jack and Harriet Knight, and also featured a Saturday evening banquet. The picture shows D6970 Foundation Chairman Wilson Smith, District Governor Don Kanfer, and Zone Foundation Coordinator Bill Moredock with our well-dressed inbound students at the banquet.

Orientation Means "Getting to Know You"

They were seven strangers from seven different countries, but their adventurousness and fate had brought them together in northeast Florida's District 6970. Then, on August 25-26, they got to know each other, and bonds were forged.

While the official purpose of Inbound Orientation is to ensure that the students are aware of all the rules and regulations of the program, there is no doubt that building friendships among this special group is an expected fringe benefit.

Highlights of the weekend included an afternoon at the Ponte Vedra Beach Club, featuring sunbathing, swimming, and some introductory surfing lessons, some Jacksonville Suns baseball (they were most interested in the Elvis impersonator), and a cruise up the St. Johns River to downtown Jacksonville, courtesy of Mandarin Rotarian Ed and Nancy Lee Grey.

More pictures ...

Inbound Students Arrive in District 6970

Rotary District 6970 welcomed its largest-ever class of inbound long-term exchange students this summer, marking the beginning of a dramatic growth period for the program. Between July 30 and August 6, seven foreign students landed in northeast Florida to start their year-long adventures among us (an eighth student is expected to join the class after overcoming a medical issue). Visit our inbound student page to meet these young ambassadors, and check out their arrival pictures.

Short-Term Exchanges - Sweeter By The Dozen

District 6970 proudly sent out twelve short-term exchange students this summer, providing them with adventures in six different countries: Argentina, Brazil, France, Japan, Mexico, and Spain. Visit our summer exchange page for more information.

Rotary Youth Exchange Florida, Inc. is a not-for-profit Florida corporation, and a
federally tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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