About Rotary Youth Exchange

The Rotary Youth Exchange is an annual academic and cultural exchange program for Grade 10-12 students, who are academically above average, articulate and demonstrate community leadership skills .

Students are home hosted (normally by Rotarians) and they spend 3 or 4 months with each host family. They will live with 3 or 4 host families during their stay. The students attend a local school and take a regular curriculum.

Rotary Youth Exchanges began in 1927. exchanges 8,000 students annually with participation from 82 countries.

For exchanges with countries in the northern hemisphere, the students arrive in their host country in either July or August and return home either 11 or 12 months later. In the southern hemisphere, the exchanges begin in January to coincide with the school year.

The goal of the program is to foster world peace and understanding. Students experience living in a foreign culture, becoming bilingual and living the life of their host country and families. The students realize that people are the same, wherever they come from throughout the world.

As 2006 – 2007 Rotary International president – Carl Wilhelm Stenhammer said – “If every 17 year old student went on a Rotary Youth exchange program there would be no more war in the world.”

Students build life-long friendships and relationships. The program helps to build their self confidence, to let them learn a new way of life, and to respect cultural differences. The students have the “Best Year of their Lives!”

There are usually 13 students from District 5050 going out on exchange, and 13 Inbound students coming into District 5050 on exchange. However, halfway through the year, the Committee is already dealing with the new batch of Inbounds and Outbounds, so that there are over 50 students engaged in the Program at any given time. Page -2-

Committee

The Committee presently consists of six couples: Dennis & Linda Rook (Chairs), Gary & Melissa Cooper, Bert & Marie Van Dalfsen, Jason & Julie Jakubec and Collin & Elsie Rogers. At this time, couples are mandatory, although this is under consideration.

The Committee is actively looking for members from the US, as all of the present members are from .

Timeline

The work of the Committee continues through the year, with an annual planning session in late August. The major dates for the Committee are as follows:

1. September – October. Training of Youth Exchange Officers and Counselors. 2. October (third weekend– Thursday night to Sunday). Inbound Orientation training to review and enhance the student’s understanding from their sending District, to cover all the rules of exchange and to have some fun activities. 3. December (1st weekend - Friday through Sunday) Christmas event for Inbound students 4. Mid-December. Receive and review all Outbound applications 5. Early January. Outbound screening - full Saturday to meet & interview individual students and their parents separately and together 6. Late February, early March. Outbound Orientation – full Saturday to explain the full exchange process and discuss various aspects of the exchange year 7. March (1st weekend). Inbound ski weekend at Sun Peaks – Thursday night through Sunday afternoon 8. April. District Assembly 9. May. District Conference. This is the final Outbound Orientation and Orientation for Inbounds for their return home. A full weekend including presentations to the full assembly of Rotarians, such as the parade of flags and the always enjoyed skit. The individuals in the group generally do not see each other again, so it is a tearful farewell on Sunday

Sponsoring Club

A Rotary club is expected to have a club committee, knowledgeable of the rules and regulations of Rotary International and District 5050.

The club needs to set a budget to host a student at between $3,500 and $5,000, which includes the stipends to students/host families and the District fee. Page -3-

The club committee is expected to make presentations to schools to promote the Rotary Youth Exchange and direct those interested to complete an application. They then review the applications and interview the students to choose the best candidate and help the chosen student to complete the long form application and get it to the District by mid December. The club committee members are encouraged to use a standard scoring system to “score” the candidates to avoid biases and ensure continuity

The club and the club committee are also expected to clearly define the expectations of program to the candidate, arrange and train host families, and provide a monthly allowance to students and the host families.

The club is to appoint and train a counselor of the same gender as the student, who will arrange schooling and follow the rules/policies regarding such things as training, safety and harassment.

Club Hosting of Inbound Students

The club is to arrange for volunteer families to home host the student for a period of 3 to 4 months. The counsellor interviews the family unit and reviews the accommodation. The family is “trained” and given a District 5050 manual for host families, which outlines what their obligations are through the exchange – with emphasis on the fact that the student is not a guest and not “on vacation” but is to be a member of the family.

Criminal record checks are required for all members of the family 18 years and older, who are living in the house. All host families must go through the “First night questions” with the inbound student during the first day after arrival, to establish ground rules and ensure there are no misunderstandings

Process for Selected Outbound Student

At the initial District Committee interview in January, the students and parents are interviewed and are provided some basic information about the exchange process and advised of potential costs for the exchange. Students also indicate which countries they are interested in going to.

At the Outbound Orientation in Feburary/March, the full group of Outbound Students and parents attend a full day session where the whole process is outlined, including requirements for passports and visas, travel arrangements and costs. Emphasis is placed on the time away, the fact that they will lose a year of school and will not take part in grad with those they went to school with. The Committee emphasizes that all Districts and Clubs must comply with all the rules of exchange which is for the protection of the students and the integrity of the program. They are advised of the harassment policies in effect and the reason for Counselors. Page -4-

From the list of countries with which our District has exchange arrangements, the students are asked to pick their top three choices. The Committee goes through a selection process, which may not match with the student’s choice. For further details on the process, see the Timeline section above.

Country Selection

The Youth Exchange Committee has established relationships with a number of countries over many years and are familiar with them and their processes and contacts. Other international Districts also regularly contact the Committee for exchanges, such as , and .

In the coming year, countries participating in an exchange are , , , , , , , , Japan and Thailand.

Future Plans

The Committee would like to see more clubs participate in the program. There are 13 Inbound and Outbound students but only have NINE clubs out of 55 clubs participating.

Clubs that are not participating are missing out on a very special experience and also failing to provide an opportunity to students from their area – these Canadian and US students are missing an experience of a lifetime from this amazing program

The District Committee is made up only and totally of Canadian members.

We desperately want and need volunteers from the US side

The Youth Exchange program and all it offers makes a huge difference in the lives of these students. They mature and become independent thinkers and step outside their comfort zone in so many ways during the year.

Rotary Youth Exchange breaks down barriers or stereotypes providing a better understanding of youth throughout the world – they are our future leaders.