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Four Florida Districts Win YE Achievement
Awards
There are 173 Rotary districts in North America. At the North American
Youth Exchange Network Conference in Chicago in late February, the Youth
Exchange programs of 22 of those districts were honored with annual District
Achievement Awards. And four of the 22 recognized districts are members of
RYE-Florida.
Just as in Olympic competition, which was going on at the same time as
the conference, the District Achievement Awards are presented in gold,
silver, and bronze. Florida districts 6930 (central Atlantic coast) and 6980
(Orlando area) won bronze awards. District 6990 (southeast Florida and Grand
Bahama Island) earned a silver award. And District 6970 (northeast Florida)
was one of only two districts in North America to accomplish the goal of
winning a gold-level District Achievement Award.
Congratulations to all Youth Exchange Committee members and Rotarians in
each winning district, and especially to the district YE chairs, under whose
leadership this is possible: Tracy Carroll (6930), John Siegel (6980), Drew
Monaghan (6990), and Jody Davis (6970). RYE-Florida is proud of you all!
St. Edwards School Wins Global Classroom Award
St. Edwards School, a small PK-12 school which has hosted inbound Rotary
exchange students and sponsored outbounds as well, has been honored as one
of two recipients of the annual Global Classroom Award by the Council on
Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET). The Vero Beach
school was nominated for the honor by District 6930 Youth Exchange Chair
Tracy Carroll.
Presentation of the award will take place at CSIET's third annual
National School Conference on International Youth Exchange, to be held in
Charlotte, NC in February. The school will also receive a $500 scholarship
contribution.
YE Chair Tracy tells us that St. Edwards School "has two students
currently outbound through RYE to Italy and Japan, and has offered full
scholarships during the last two years to an inbound Rotary YE student, at a
value of $25,000 US per year. The school has a long history of a world-view
education, and partners with Rotary and other organizations to bring in
students from around the world."
Rotary Youth Exchange Florida offers congratulations to the
administration and faculty of St. Edwards School, and to Tracy Carroll and
the District 6930 Rotarians as well, for this recognition of the excellent
partnership that they have established.
Read Tracy Carroll's nomination letter.
Countdown to Liftoff - D6930 Inbounds
Watch Launch
On Monday, November 16, most of the inbound Rotary District 6930 Youth
Exchange students attended the launch of the space shuttle at NASA. The
students were treated as VIPs with free admission and bus passes directly to
the Banana Creek viewing site. Many purchased souvenirs and send postcards
home, postmarked the date of the launch.
Students
included: Back row: Carolin Janssen (Germany, Titusville RC), Simon Jensen
(Denmark, Orchid Island RC), Simona Mulas (Italy, Vero Beach RC and Treasure
Coast RC); Front row: Sachie Arai (Japan, Vero Beach Sunrise RC), Rishika
Lekhadia (India, Palm Bay RC) and Clarissa Pereira (Brazil, Sebastian RC).
(Click on photo to enlarge.)
The students were accompanied by DGE Louis Venuti, Marcia Gaedcke, Judi
Silvasi-Patchin and Tracy Carroll. Big thanks go to Marcia Gaedcke of the
Titusville Rotary Club who "pulled the Rotary strings" to make this exciting
day happen for our kids!
2009-10 Exchange Year Begins with Goodbyes and
Hellos
Various airports around the state and around the world were the sites as
the dreams of our 2009-10 Rotary exchange students became reality. The
first to depart from Florida were
Michael Booker and Caroline
Fields, who left for India in mid-July, soon followed by
Chelsea Neal (Japan) and
Matt Botkin (Germany). On the
inbound side, Florida's first new arrival was Rishika Lekhadia from India,
whose smiling face can be seen amid the warm welcome scene below.
Over the next month or so, approximately 150 students will have the same
experience, our outbounds departing Florida
for various destinations around the world, and our
inbounds arriving here to begin their year in
the Sunshine State. Expect similar airport scenes - excitement and sadness
on one end, excitement and exhaustion and confusion on the other - on both
sides of the globe as these adventures get underway.

The first
2009-10 inbound to arrive is Rishika from India,
greeted at the Orlando Airport by Tracy Carroll (D6930 YE Chair), OB to
Brazil Sarah Kelly, friend Jacqs Carroll, Rishika, Host Father Pravin Patel,
OB to Italy Austin Carroll, and Eau Gallie (Melbourne) Rotary Club President
Chad Dhotre

Adam from Sweden is greeted upon his arrival
in Jacksonville |

The smiling face in
the center belongs to Yurika from Japan |

Elizabeth arrives as
our first-ever inbound student from Paraguay |

Marie-Claire from France found this warm welcome
at the Miami Airport |

A big crowd was on hand to help make Brazilian
Ana Laura feel at home |

Guro from Norway found friendly faces when she
landed in Jacksonville |

Here's Isabel from Taiwan being welcomed by
Bartram Trail Rotary |

The colorful sign was
hard to miss for
Leandro from Argentina |

Fanni from Hungary
finds a friendly welcome
in Daytona Beach |

Albert from Turkey
arrives at the airport
in Fort Lauderdale |

On the other side of the world,
Jamie begins her
exchange in Norway |

It was easy for Sam from Finland to realize what
country he was now in! |

T-shirts in Tallahassee made for a special welcome for Gracie
from Spain |

Marlon from Brazil was definitely the best-
dressed upon his arrival
in Daytona Beach |

Juline and Ashley from France and Patrick from Switzerland all
arrived together in Jax |

The sign told the whole story as
Shaina was warmly
welcomed to
São Paulo Brazil |

Sanne from Denmark |

Vilius from Lithuania |

Tim from Germany |

Gabriel from Brazil |

Laurenz from Austria |

Kwan from Thailand |

Madeleine from Sweden |

Sena from Turkey |

Yuka from Japan |
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Yuka helps welcome Pieter from the Netherlands |

It's a big Bem Vindo
for Segah in Brazil |

Manon from Belgium |

Matt steps cautiously
through the airport
as he makes his way
into Germany |

New inbound Laurenz, along with outbounds
Liz and
Adam, meet Mayor
Peyton of Jacksonville |

Looks like a "magical" arrival in Orlando for
Clarissa from Brazil |

Zeeshan from India was welcomed "above and below"
when he arrived
in Jacksonville |

Kelsey arrives in
Taiwan |

Simultaneously, so
does Rebekka |

Mely and
Grant got a
big greeting in Japan |

Michael's
Japanese welcome was warm too |

Sachie from Japan |

Simon from Denmark |

Simona from Italy |

Erik from Slovakia |
Indian River County (in District
6930) Proclaims July 14 as "Rotary International Youth Exchange Day"
In celebration of ten soon-to-be outbound Rotary Youth Exchange students
from their communities, the leaders of Indian River County have issued an
official proclamation honoring those individuals and Rotary.
The proclamation (read
it) states, "Be it proclaimed that the Indian River County Board of
County Commissioners does hereby declare July 14, 2009 as Rotary
International Youth Exchange Day in Indian River County, Florida and
encourages all citizens to join them in recognizing Rotary International for
over 100 years of service to improving the human condition in local
communities around the world."
Congratulations to the area's outbound students, to District 6930 YE
Chair Tracy Carroll, and to all the Rotarians in the region for this superb
recognition.
Jacksonville to Host 6th Annual YE Welcome Home
Dinner
Families, friends, and all Rotarians are invited to join in the
celebration of successful 2008-09 exchanges at the 6th Annual District 6970
Youth Exchange Welcome Home Dinner. The event will be held on Saturday
evening, August 1, at the studios of WJCT-TV in Jacksonville, and will
feature an "international" dinner followed by the speeches of more than two
dozen returning outbound students who represented northeast Florida around
the world this past year.
Since 2004, District 6970's "rebounds" have come together for this very
special evening, and the speeches have been inspiring, amusing, and touching
every year. It's truly remarkable to hear about the adventures, the
accomplishments, and the attachments that comprise the unforgettable
experience that each student has enjoyed.
Tickets are $25 per person, and are available through D6970 YE Chairman
Jody Davis, jodydavis@cfl.rr.com,
or any member of the District 6970 YE Committee.
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