Student Exchange Program

Posted 
on Oct 15, 2014
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monroe Rotary Seeking Exchange

 

Student Candidates

 

Students will Study Abroad for One Year

The Rotary Club of Monroe seeks to sponsor a student from the Monroe School District that will travel to and live in a foreign country from August 2015 until July 2016.  Students will spend a year living with host families, attending school and participating in youth activities customary to the culture of the host country.  They will learn a new culture, a great deal about themselves, and quite likely a new language.  They will be an ambassador to people they meet, sharing our country’s culture and ideas.  Rotary Youth Exchange students help bring the world closer - and make good friends in the process.
 

 

 

 
Students who are currently in the 10th or 11th grade may qualify.  Ideal Youth Exchange candidates are young, open-minded individuals who demonstrate leadership qualities that will enable them to become excellent cultural ambassadors for their country and the Rotary club or district that supports them.  Applicants are not required to be involved with Rotary in any way before applying.  Children of Rotarians are welcome to participate but are not given any preference.  Home-schooled and private school students, and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
 
Applications can be downloaded from the www.rotaryofmonroe.org (under “links”) or for more information contact:                     
Greg Starup
Rotary Club of Monroe, Youth Exchange Officer
425-870-5706
 
The Application Deadline is November 15, 2014.  Applicants will be interviewed with their parents in November or December and selection will follow by mid-January, 2015.  Students living in other school districts are encouraged to contact their local Rotary club.
 
Students reap many rewards from an exchange experience, including:
  • Serving as an ambassador for their country and community
  • Benefiting from immersion in another culture while adapting to a new way of life
  • Making lifelong friends, not only within the host country but also with other students from around the world
  • Learning about the practices and accomplishments of people in other countries
  • Returning home with a greater sense of the world and a deeper understanding of themselves and their culture
  • Assuming leadership roles shaped by lessons from the experience
  • Building memories that will be with them forever
     
    Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) is a program of Rotary International for students in secondary school.  Since 1929, Rotary International has sent young people around the globe to experience new cultures.  Currently, over 8,000 students are sponsored by Rotary clubs each year.  Rotary clubs are service organizations that strive to improve the quality of life in their communities, promote high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace.  There are over 33,000 Rotary clubs in the world, in over 200 countries, and over 100 countries participate in the program.
     
    Each student is sponsored by a Rotary Club and Rotary District in their home country and is hosted by a Rotary Club and Rotary District in their host country.  Rotarians and others that participate in the program are volunteers that undergo background checks and thorough training.  Each Rotary Club that hosts a student provides a Rotarian counselor for the student who is the student's contact person within the club, and provides support to the student when needed.  In addition, other trained Rotarians monitor the student’s experience and well-being, and the school and host families to ensure the safety of the student and quality of the experience.
     
    As part of the “Exchange”, a student from another country is hosted by the club sending a student abroad.  The student will attend school locally, sharing their culture, experience and knowledge with our local students and host families who otherwise may not have the opportunity to experience the culture of another country.  They also participate in service to the community with the local Rotary club.
     
    Rotary committees take great care in the placement of students to ensure that the hosting club and district are qualified, and that the host families have the proper training and sufficient resources to accept the student into their families.  There are strict rules that must be followed by all concerned.  The United States Department of State regulations must be followed and volunteers are required to pass tests each year demonstrating that they are knowledgeable of the requirements and qualified to work with youth.
     
    Major points of the program:
     
  • Parents pay for transportation, medical/dental insurance and clothing
  • Cost of room and board is covered by Rotary and the families abroad
  • Rotary pays living allowance and cost of school, where applicable
  • Students MUST attend school, and learn the language if other than English
  • Students are treated as members of families, not as guests, and are expected to participate in family, school and community activities.
  • Students may stay with several different families over the year
  • Grade 10 or 11 only – grade 12 students are not eligible
  • It is very unlikely that credit will be received toward graduation for education taken elsewhere.Special cases must be negotiated with school counselors or principals.
     
    For Additional Information Contact:
     
    Greg Starup, President
    Rotary Club of Monroe
    PO Box 293
    Monroe, WA 98272
    425-870-5706