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Rotary youth exchange is a country-to-country exchange of high-school age young people, between the ages of 16 to 18 1/2 years old at the time of arrival in the hosting country, for a cultural and educational experience for both the student and those serving as hosts. There are two student exchange programs: Long-term and Summer programs. The Long Term Program is for a full school yaer, typically 10 months and the Summer Program is for 10 - 12 weeks, 5-6 weeks in another country and 5-6 weeks hosting a student in your home.
Rotary sends and receives students from a variety of countries in Asia, Europe and South America. The program is for a full school year and requires a student of sufficient maturity and emotional strength. When a student enters this program they will be traveling to a foreign country and living with, eating with, getting in the car with and trusting people who start out as complete strangers but rapidly become friends and often extended family. If you feel you are a strong person, emotionally and mentally, have good grades and up for one of the greatest challenges a young person may experience, then please consider the Rocky Mountain Rotary Youth Exchange Year Long Program.
Who is eligible?
Minimum age of 15.5, but cannot be over 18.5 at the time of the exchange Applicants may be children of Rotarians or non-Rotarians. The Denver Rotary Club Youth Exchange Committee must sponsor the student and verify the student's qualifications. Must be able to be a good ambassador for Rotary, the United States and themselves Must be able to spend one year in a foreign country Must be able to attend mandatory orientations and have parents present.
Both the student and family must commit as they will both be required to fulfill responsibilities. The student must attend school and receive acceptable grades. The student must work to understand and live with new families and in a new culture. There is no right or wrong-it is just different. Some countries have mandatory language camps or minimum language skills as requirements. Cost may be borne by the student in some cases.
What is the timing of the program?
Exchange usually start in late August and are considered full term early June. The student may stay as long as their host will allow and their visa is valid, but not more than 12 months. Natural parents are typically allowed to visit late in the exchange year but are expressly discouraged from visiting during the holidays.
What is the application procedure?
Register by November 1st to meet the November 15th deadline. To get started click here. The full application for the Year Long program is available at www.rye5450.org/files/FMRYE%0LTEP%20APP.pdf. Submit the application to : Debbie DeMuth at 905 S. Pennsylvania Street, Denver, CO 80209. The Denver Rotary Club Youth Exchange Committee members will then interview the student and their family. If the committee elects to sponsor the student they will forward the application to the District upon acceptance. The Distrrict will then notify the student of the interview weekend, which occurs in early December. Students and their parents must attend a second, mandatory, orientation in May.
What are the costs involved?
There is a $95 application fee to cover the cost of the interview weekend. There is a second fee of $400 due at the May orientation to cover pins, Rotary jacket, etc. An international insurance policy must be purchased (approx $450) from CISI-Bolduc. Students and their families are responsible for travel costs and passport/visa. Students receive a monthly stipend from their hosting Rotary club which will be in line with local cost and expenses for similar aged kids. Any extra spending money-dependent on student's spending habits and personal desires
Summer Exchange Program
District 5450 will be hosting one summer camp for international students each July. This program is new, starting July 2009. We will be offering reciprocal European Rotary Camps for our program. No family-to-family exchanges will be offered in 2009 or 2010. Additional information will be available mid January of each year.
This is an excellent program for testing the idea of a year long exchange, to experience a foreign country from the inside or to participate without attending school! Emotional and mental maturity are required, but this program is not as intense nor does it require the strength of the year long program.
For more information on the Summer Camp Program, please email kimberly@rye5450.org
Current program fliers:
D2050-Italy for 18-24 year olds
Be a host family
Hosting a student is possibly one of the most interesting and rewarding experiences you and your family can have with far less effort than you might expect. All students are interviewed and go through a year long process to ensure they are the right student for the program.
Each student brings with them an array of questions to help them better fit within your family structure. They are given skills by the Rotary organization to help them better acclimate and adjust to their new environment. Likewise, host family training is provided and host families have numerous contacts within Rotary to assist in situations from homesickness to cultural differences.
The local Rotary club will ensure the student is enrolled at a local area school and they provide a monthly stipend for the student. As a host family, you are expected to provide a warm, nurturing environment for the student, meals and a place to sleep. Clothes, gifts, movie tickets, ski passes and similar items are the responsibility of the student. Sure, a host family may offer to assist or outright pay for such items but it is not required.
An exchange student will live in your home for 3-4 months typically. They will bring a variety of new ideas and views of the world to you and your family. They will probably offer to cook a meal from their country for you to sample what they eat daily. They will observe and learn from you what it means to be an American family. They will ask about differences and compare cultures with you. Together you will each find yourselves learning things about a foreign land that you don't get on the average 14 day visit!
All host families must go through a background check process and a brief interview. This is not only in compliance with various regulations and certifications, but it also helps ensure families and students can focus on the experience rather than questioning their safety and security.
If you are interested in becoming a host family, contact Debbie DeMuth at: debbiedemuth@comcast.net. We are excited to have you become part of this program.
To get more information on joining the committee, please contact Debbie DeMuth at debbiedemuth@comcast.net. It is a wonderful and rewarding experience to make this program a possibility for a few lucky young adults each year.
The Denver Club is currently hosting Giorgio Aime from Italy. Giorgio is 16 and a junior at East High School.
