PROGRAM
ROTARY DISTRICT 6460
YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
A PROUD MEMBER OF
INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS
WHAT IS CENTRAL STATES ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE? (www.csrye.org)
Each year approximately 300 young people from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Ontario decide they are ready for something new, different, and exciting. They become Ambassadors of the United States or Canada to another country.
They welcome the opportunity to see another country from the perspective of a native of that country by spending 10 to 11 months overseas, improving their language skills or learning an entirely new language. They live as a family member in the homes of one, two or three host families and attend high school. The school and family experiences will teach them the culture of their host country. They will, in turn, teach their hosts about the USA or Canada.
They will see their host country in a way that is not possible by a vacation or short visit, all the while learning and expanding their knowledge and understanding of the people in their host country.
WHO CAN BECOME AN EXCHANGE STUDENT?
Any boy or girl. Students should be in the upper 50% of their high school class and have an interest in people and places. They should be in grades 10, 11 or 12 in the year that they apply, so that they will be between the ages of 15 years, 10 months, and 19 years when they depart for overseas. Above all, Rotary is looking for young people who can act as personal Ambassadors.
DO I NEED TO KNOW A FOREIGN LANGUAGE?
French and German speaking countries have a minimum language requirement - French 3 years and German - 2 years. There are no requirements for any of the other countries, and there are sometime exceptions made on the German requirements.
CAN I CHOOSE THE COUNTRY TO WHICH I AM ASSIGNED?
Central State RYE exchanges students with the following 43 countries. Students rank their country preferences in order from 1 to 41. Often students are assigned to one of their top 5 or 6 countries.
EUROPE - Belgium, France, Turkey, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Latvia.
CENTRAL AMERICA - Mexico, Costa Rica
ASIA - India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand.
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - South Africa, Australia, Zambia.
NORDIC COUNTRIES - Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
SOUTH AMERICA - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela.
HOW ARE STUDENTS SELECTED?
Students are selected by Rotary Clubs on the basis of their application and a personal interview. Applicants and their parents are interviewed by Youth Committee members of a nearby Rotary Club. Applicants from the club are then interviewed by the District 6460 Rotary Youth Committee. Successful candidates are assigned to countries and clubs overseas by the Central States Outbound Coordinator based on the student preferences. There are limited places in any one country and a preparedness to accept an exchange in available countries is necessary.
WHAT TRAINING DOES ROTARY PROVIDE?
Rotary Clubs have an important role in this exchange. Both the sponsoring and the hosting club provide a counselor or youth exchange officer to maintain contact and monitor the student's progress before and during the actual exchange. District 6460 provides monthly activities, some required and some optional, to prepare students and families for a successful exchange year. Parents of students are required to be involved.
WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL?
Students are required to attend a year of high school while abroad, even if they have already graduated. Often college bound students may earn college credits based on their experience or foreign language ability, and sometimes, scholarship help as well.
For students needing to return to complete high school, there may be credits available for subjects studied or language proficiency gained, but this varies according to your local high school. So check with your own high school administration. Often some negotiation is possible. However, the real bonus for education is the experience you receive from the exchange.
WHAT DOES AN EXCHANGE COST?
Actual costs will vary depending on the country of exchange and the student's personal budget.
Student and family provide;
Host Rotary Club provides;
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
The benefits are many. Students grow in self-confidence, tolerance and self-reliance through having to accept greater responsibility for themselves and their actions. They must adapt to unfamiliar surroundings and different ways of life. For some it will be the first extended period of separation from their family.
Living away from home for 11 months is a demanding yet rewarding experience. It is not always smooth sailing and requires strength of character, tolerance and an understanding of one's self. Usually the student finds out as much about themselves as they find out about their host country. Students often develop a clearer set of goals for the future.
The exchange is a unique opportunity for young Americans to experience first hand the culture of another country, meet other students from throughout the world on a personal basis, and perhaps gain a new language. The friendships they make are often lifelong and promote the purpose of the exchange - the building of goodwill and understanding between countries.
WHAT TO DO NOW?
If you are interested in making an application, you must do this on the appropriate application form. These are obtainable from the District Outbound Coordinator or any participating Rotary Clubs, or you may want to start by filling in and submitting the Attached Form. This application is sent to the Rotary Club near you to begin the selection and orientation process. Completion of the form obligates you in no way.
Successful applicants will complete a more comprehensive application which will be considered by the District Committee in conjunction with a personal interview. This application includes medical and school reports as well as personal information and parent's and student's endorsement of the exchange.
Further information and forms are available on the Central States Youth Exchange website (www.csrye.org). To return to this website use your browser back command.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Teresa Goodyear, Outbound Coordinator and Vice-Chair 200 Cedar Ave Morton, IL 61550 Ph. Home (309)263-8732 Ph. Office(309)263-1381 E-Mail: gtmr@comcast.net or Bill Ault, Assistant Outbound Coordinator 2004 87th St. Monmouth, IL 61463 (H) 309-734-2963 or your local Rotary Club! Would you like to return to District 6460 Web page? Explore the world of Rotary International.Robert Pill & Robin Chapple. All rights reserved. Used by permission, by chuck@galesburg.net
Images courtesy of Tord Elfwendahl