RYE Florida welcomes the
Outbound Class of 2012-2013!
Visit their
pages and learn more
about them - and check around our site to learn more about our program.
Don't forget to read the journal of our
present students!
Information
for Outbounds, class of 2012-13.
Welcome to ...
Rotary Youth Exchange - Florida!
What an exciting adventure awaits you, as a potential Rotary exchange student
or host family, as you look to expand your horizons as they've never been
expanded before.
We invite you to explore our site, learn more about the
program, and, if it's right for you, take those first steps toward one of the
most amazing, memorable, adventurous years of your life.
News...
Keep on top of all RYE-Florida news. Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ryeflorida),
and follow us on Twitter (@ryeflorida).
RYE-Florida's brand around the world - a
photo essay!
Who
Are We?
Rotary International is the world's oldest and most international service
organization, with over 1.2 million members in 32,000 clubs, in almost 200
countries. The official Rotary motto is, "Service Above Self",
and Rotarians live their lives in accordance with the Four Way
Test. You can
find out more about our wonderful organization and its many programs and
projects by visiting the Rotary
International website.
There are more than 400
Rotary clubs in the eight Rotary districts in Florida. District borders follow
county lines. Click here to see a district map and
listing by county.
Each year, over 8,000 high school students participate
in the Rotary Youth Exchange program worldwide, learning a new language and experiencing a
new culture, through the efforts of Rotary volunteers around the globe. The
Youth Exchange (YE) programs in Florida are growing, through the efforts of the
newly energized multi-district organization, Rotary Youth Exchange Florida, Inc.
As you explore this website, you will find much historical
information on District 6970's YE program, which serves as the basis for the
statewide effort. District 6970
has built a dynamic, highly respected Youth Exchange program, which is the
largest in the southeast, and was honored
as the Outstanding Rotary Youth Exchange District in the US and Canada for
2006! That same excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment to excellence is
now spreading throughout the Sunshine State.
To learn about program options,
requirements, costs, and more, click here. If you think
you might want to be a Rotary exchange student,
this page would be a good place to start. Or complete our
Inquiry Form and a representative of Rotary Youth Exchange
in your area will contact you.
“Hosting not only makes a difference in the life of an exceptional student; it
is also an enriching experience for host families and communities. Host families
and communities have the opportunity to learn about other cultures and
traditions, and often establish friendships that last a lifetime.
“…Host families exemplify some of our country's greatest values -- tolerance,
generosity, civic engagement -- and the goodwill they exhibit helps to create a
positive view of the United States that lasts a lifetime and has a ripple effect
through American communities and the exchange students' communities abroad.
Hosting is a wonderful way to share ideas, celebrate commonalities, bridge
differences, challenge stereotypes, and experience a different culture.”
" I am not going to think about the person I will be by the end of this
exchange, I am just going to enjoy every moment of it, even if it means
accepting my failures." Alyssa - Outbound to
Iceland
"The idea of being environmentally-friendly transitions into my school life
as well, and we often have class with the lights off to save energy." Mary-Cate - Outbound
to Switzerland
"I celebrated Christmas together with my first and a day later with my
second family here. And it is the greatest gift of all, knowing that I
now have three families in this world." Nina - Inbound from
Switzerland
"My host dad .. told me I had made a permanent family and that I am truly
his son and that I will all ways have a room in his house" LJ - Outbound to Thailand
"These little differences seemed so strange at first, but now I don’t
think twice about it, it will be weird going back to Florida and having
to relearn common rules and norms of society." Abbie - Outbound to Spain
"Brazilians overall tend to be naturally curious and friendly, which makes
it less intimidating when meeting someone for the first time." Samantha Conklin -
Outbound to Brazil
"These have been 5 of the most incredible, terrifying, stressful, life
changing months of my life and I would't trade them for anything in the
world. " Anna - Outbound to Estonia
"I find myself singing and dancing on the way home about as much as or more
than the preschoolers here, which the people waiting at the bus stops along
the way always seem to find entertaining." Andrea - Outbound to
Switzerland
"I feel like a part of my host family, and I rarely have trouble with the
language anymore. Now, I know my way around Lima and I can use public
transportation with ease." Carter - Outbound to Peru
"As a foreigner, unaccustomed to the environment around you, any way you
deal with new situations, any way you try to adapt, any way you agree to
learn, is a sign of ‘extraordinary genius’. " Kayla - Outbound to Ecuador
"It took awhile to come back from Cabo Frio. It's funny because it seems
like I have some family connection in every city we pass. I feel like I
have about 15 aunts and 30 cousins!" Alison - Outbound to
Brazil
"In five short months, I think that to say I have changed completely is
not wrong. I remember who I was in my old life, and I can see all the
opportunities I passed on for some reason." Michael - Outbound to
Brazil
"I was very afraid I would get homesick around the holidays, but because of
my great host family and how they have made me feel so at home with them, I
wasn’t homesick at all! " McKenzie - Outbound to
Denmark
"Going on this exchange is one of the best things that has ever happened
to me. It has allowed me to expand my imagination and goals for life,
learn something new, be somewhere so different, and conquer everything
on my own." Emily - Outbound to
Austria
"Not until my fourth month into exchange did I really feel a sense of
reassurance with my current environment. All of a sudden, eating dinner at
nine or not saying “God bless you” when someone sneezed didn’t feel so
strange." Christi-Outbound to Brazil
"You’ll always have an adventure in a bazaar. It’s a good place to go it
you’re looking for some excitement. You meet all kinds of people there...ALL
KINDS..." Jane - Outbound to Turkey
"We ate dinner in a very traditional Japanese room, and we were served at
least ten courses of food varying from sea cucumber (I do NOT like it) to
sashimi and other traditional foods." Miranda - Outbound to Japan
" I thought everyone was going to pet it, but then I saw the knife being
pulled out, and only then did I realize Jonathan was dinner." Joe - Outbound to Kyrgyztan
"... armed with a pocketknife to play surgeon in the early hours of the
morning, after enlarging the strange circular hole in my foot I become to
push around the periphery, hoping that a stinger or something would pop out,
something popped out alright… To my horror a larvae about ½ an inch long
began slowly exiting my foot." Sam - Outbound to Argentina
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.
Questions? Suggestions? Contact
webmaster.
Our
Districts
