|
Rotary Youth Exchange Program The Rock Falls Rotary Club has been enthusiastic supporter of the Rotary International Youth Exchange programs for more than 20 years. The purpose of this program is to sponsor youths from different countries, cultures, and languages for an entire year in a foreign country. The goal is to have both the student and the members of the club and community acquire a better understanding of their world by providing opportunities to build relationships that build lasting peace. |
Rotary Clubs throughout the world sponsor high school students to study at the local high school and live with host families in a our country for an academic year. These clubs also sponsor local students who travel out-bound to more than thirty foreign countries with Rotary Clubs. Approximately 7,000 high school students from around the Rotary world exchange in this way.
Local involvement:
The Rock Falls Rotary Club has sponsored many outbound students over the past thirty years. They have lived in Japan, Germany, Finland, Mexico, Denmark, Brazil and other parts of the world. Last year our Rock Falls student, Rae , spent the year in Denmark and next year we will be sending a student to the Netherlands.
| Our Rotary club has enthusiastically hosted students from all parts of the world. Our current in-bound student is Mari from Gifu, Japan. Mari arrived in August and has been involved in many activities with school and her host families, including going on a high school band trip to New York City. Reach Mari at: marinko555@hotmail.com |  |
|
Last year, Elodie from France was our student. Elodie made many friendships that will last a lifetime and was a wonderful representative of her country. She is pictured here with her father, who came for a visit in the spring of 2001. Elodie is now attending college in Toulouse, France and can be reached at the following email address: Etcantal@aol.com |
How your family can participate:
The Youth Exchange program through Rotary International sustains this program through the generosity of host families opening their homes to these students. This effort at world understanding is through hospitality in all the countries and an open willingness to mutually share wonderful learning experiences for both students and families. Host families are the key ingredient to the success of this Rotary effort in world understanding. Ask any family that has hosted a student and they will tell you that they not only learned a great amount about a foreign culture, but they also realized things about the USA that they hadn't known before. The Rock Falls Rotary Club is always seeking out good host families to host the inbound students each year.
What is necessary to be a Host Family:
Being a host family simply requires a available bed and the ability to love and nurture children for a 3 to 4 month period of time. The Rotary Youth Exchange program is different from others in that the student lives with three or four American families during their year. The belief is that family rotation is very beneficial when students are learning about the host country's culture. The student experiences a variety of family home environments which enriches the experience. The student receives $100 allowance per month from the Club to cover any personal expenses and also most school expenses. The student is responsible for their own clothing requirements, health [Rotary provides student insurance] and travel expenses if those situations occur while hosting. The Rotary Club has advisors who act as a help to any host family and a safety net should any problems arise.
Your hospitality is greatly appreciated:
The Rock Falls Rotary club greatly appreciates your interest and willingness to be a host family. Your family will be greatly enriched by this experience and you will be planting the seeds of a better world. If you want to inquire more about being a host family, please contact Art Johnson, Dave Geil, or Pat Novak.
Do you want to become an exchange student for a year?
In September of each year our Rotary Club seeks Rock Falls student candidates in the local high schools. Depending on age, one can exchange in Junior or Senior years, or the year after one graduates. Compared to other student exchange programs the costs are manageable. A student has some choice to which country is selected, but there are no guarantees. Some of the main characteristics in a student that the club is look for are: courage to try new things, an inquiring mind, academic rank in the upper third of one's class, some foreign language courses, ability to get along with all types of people, a willingness to be diplomatic representative of the USA in another part of the world. The student is required to attend high school in the country where hosted. Students are selected through an interview process. If you are interested, please contact Art Johnson, Dave Geil, or Pat Novak. (Rotary International also sponsors short-term exchange programs for several months.)
