- Am I eligible to be a Rotary exchange student?
- What is the long-term program?
- What is the short term program?
- Do I get to choose my country?
- Do I have to know another language?
- Will I get school credit for my exchange year?
- Is there any future advantage to being a Rotary
Exchange Student?
- What if I have problems during my exchange?
- Do my parents have to host an inbound student?
- OK, bottom line, what does it cost?
- How do I apply?
- What else do I need to know?
- What if we just want to host an inbound
student?
- What are the responsibilities of
a host family?
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.
Exchange student candidates must be outgoing, self-confident, friendly,
adaptable, and adventurous, 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.
Rotary offers two types of exchanges for high school students. For a truly
amazing, life-changing experience, there is nothing like the long-term exchange.
Students spend a year in another country, becoming fluent in the language and
immersed in the culture, and developing friendships that will last a lifetime.
Participants attend high school, and may or may not get credit back home for
courses taken (but colleges often recognize the value of exchange programs, with
credit for language ability and greater acceptance rates!). Each student will
have up to four (or more) host families through the year, to broaden the
experience and see the variations that exist in all cultures.
It takes a very special teen to consider him or herself capable of spending a
year abroad, but the rewards and experiences are unlike anything you may ever
know again. If you think you can do this, don't let the opportunity pass you by.
Interested in a taste of the world, and willing to share yours with others?
Then the short-term program may be for you. Rotary's short-term exchange program
usually takes place during the summer, and brings together paired families from
different countries. Typically, you would spend 3-4 weeks overseas with a family
that has a son or daughter of approximately the same age. And then, you and your
new host sibling would come back to the US for a 3-4 week stay with your family
(the order can be reversed, with the foreign student coming here first -
whichever works best for the families is fine).
The short-term program does not generally include school attendance, and
instead provides its educational experiences through exposure to a new language
and culture. Naturally, the friendships that develop often last a long time,
with repeat visits a very common occurrence.
For younger students, or perhaps those wanting to sample the experience
before committing to the long-term program, Rotary's short-term exchange program
can be ideal.
A very popular question. And the answer is, ... yes and no. For short-term
exchanges, since they involve family-to-family reciprocal arrangements, we make
every effort to accommodate country preferences. It may not always be possible
to grant a student's first choice, but normally that can be done.
Long-term exchanges work differently, in that students from
our exchange partners will be coming here for a year, and we have built
relationships with these counterparts over many years. The countries we exchange
with are those we know run top-quality programs, and we re-evaluate them each
year. There are a limited number of exchanges available with each country, and
we will not overload any country in either direction. Therefore, for long-term
students, we ask you to select five preferred countries, and we allow you to
refuse any countries that you would not accept an assignment to. The majority of
students will get one of their five choices. But remember, flexibility is a
vital characteristic for a successful exchange student, and that starts right at
the beginning.
No, not at all. Naturally, it would help to have some familiarity with the
language of the country you go to, for either the short- or long-term program.
But we don't limit the program to those who are already bi-lingual. In fact, one
of the great benefits of the long-term program is quickly gaining fluency in
another language. Typically, our students become fluent in 3-4 months, even
without any previous knowledge of the language! But we strongly recommend that
all participants start learning their target language as soon as they are
selected for the program. The more of the language you know up front, the better
your experience will be.
This is always a tough question because it varies from school to school and
country to country. You should sit down with your school counselors when you
apply and when you know what country you are going to for your year.
Pre-planning makes a big difference. If you have question contact your Youth
Exchange Officer or the District YE Chairman.
Yes! Past history has indicated that having the Rotary Exchange Year on your
college application carries more weight in many cases than your GPA, class
ranking, or even SAT or ACT score. Colleges are looking for students that are
going to successfully complete their studies and graduate. By completing a full
year exchange in another culture you are showing them that you have the
"right stuff". Future employers will take similar views of your
year's experience, not to mention the benefits of becoming bi-lingual or
bi-cultural!
The design of the Rotary Exchange program is such that if you have problems we
have the resources to help you solve the problems, starting with a Rotary Club
right in the community in which you are living. You will have multiple avenues
of help available to you to resolve any problem that might come up.
Rotary International and Rotarians in Florida
take very seriously our responsibility for the safety and security of all
Rotary exchange students, both inbound and outbound. In November, 2002, the
Board of Directors of Rotary International adopted the following
Statement of Conduct for Working with Youth:
"Rotary International is committed to creating and
maintaining the safest possible environment for all participants in Rotary
activities. It is the duty of all Rotarians, Rotarians’ spouses, partners,
and other volunteers to safeguard to the best of their ability the welfare
of and to prevent the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of children and
young people with whom they come into contact."
For short-term exchanges, the answer is Yes. Those are family-to-family
exchanges, and you will be paired with a foreign family that has a son or
daughter of roughly your age. It is up to the two families to decide which
student travels first.
For long-term exchanges, parents of outbound students are not required to
host. Many, of course, choose to do so, partly because they have an empty room,
but also so they can experience some of what their son or daughter is going
through. We encourage that, but we also recognize that not all families are able
to host. We do ask outbound students and their families to help find host
families in their own communities, to accommodate the inbound student that will
be hosted by their Rotary Club.
Probably a lot less than you think. You see, Rotarians are all volunteers, so
there are no salaries or commissions paid to the people who administer this
program. It does cost money, though, to make the arrangements, present the
orientations, provide student materials and supplies, etc. And, of course,
there's airfare, insurance, and other travel expenses. Here is a breakdown by program:
Long Term Program
You must submit a non-refundable fee of $50 with your
application in order to be considered for the program. If accepted, the cost for
the Long Term (one year) program is $3,900. That includes your round trip
airfare, Rotary-approved medical insurance, visa costs, orientations, your
Rotary blazer, pins, business cards, and other supplies, and the cost of
language camp in those countries that require it. A schedule is available to
spread the payments out over several months. The cost is the same
regardless of destination - that way, you can go to the country that you most
desire and are best suited for, without comparing airfares (Note: if you don't
already have a passport, you will need to obtain one, at your own expense).
In the Long Term Program, Rotary exchange students are
provided with a monthly allowance from their host Rotary club. This is usually
the equivalent of between $50 and $100 US, but may vary by location. If you want
or need spending money beyond that, it is up to you and your parents to provide
it. Of course, you do not have to pay for room and board, school fees, etc.
Long Term students are also required to deposit an Emergency
Fund with their host Rotary Club. Usually $300, this money is there for
unexpected expenses (medical, dental, telephone, etc.), and, if it is used
during the year, it must be replenished by you or your parents. If it is not
used, it is returned to you at the end of the year.
To summarize, then, the Long Term program costs are $50 with
the application, $3900 in advance of departure (paid on a schedule to be
provided), an Emergency Fund to be taken with you, and whatever additional
spending money you and your parents agree on.
Short Term Program
Just as with the Long Term program, a non-refundable fee of
$50 is due with the application. Upon acceptance into the program and assignment
to a country, a program fee of $250 is due, which covers the cost of
Rotary-approved medical insurance, orientation activities, and supplies.
You and your parents are responsible for the cost of your
airline ticket, as well as any visa or other travel documents that may be
required (Note: if you don't already have a passport, you will need to obtain
one, at your own expense). Additionally, you will need to bring spending money
while abroad, and you and your family should budget appropriately for the time
that you and your exchange partner are together here. Those costs, obviously,
are variable and up to you to determine.
All applications must be sponsored by a local Rotary Club, so it's important
that you make contact with a club in your area. If, however, you don't know a
local Rotarian, or if you'd like help in this task, you can certainly complete
our inquiry form. We will follow up with you, or refer you to someone in your area to get
you on the right track.
Once you've decided to go ahead with it, you need to complete the full
application, for whichever program you're interested in. We recommend that you
use the on-line forms, for the
year-long application or the
summer
application, as you can just enter the basic information and print them out
in a neat, orderly format. Otherwise, you'll need to get a hard copy of the form
and locate a typewriter to complete it. Read the instructions carefully, and
follow them to the letter. If you have any questions, contact a representative
of your local district, or e-mail
info@ryeflorida.org.
Well, you might want to take a look at the Ten
Commandments for Rotary Exchange Students.
Rotary Clubs are always looking for potential host families. If you'd like to
enrich your family's experience by bringing in a Rotary exchange student,
contact your local Rotary Club, or complete our inquiry form. And thanks so much
for your interest!
To accept the exchange student as a new member of your family. The student will
be governed not only by the rules of the program but by the rules of your
household. You are responsible for the safety of the exchange student the same
as for your own children. Although you might become a bit more of the soccer mom
or dad for normal everyday activities, it is not your responsibility to act as a
taxi service or a tour guide. Rotarians for the hosting club will be helping in
these areas.
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