Rotary International

1. Workshop for New Rotary Youth
Exchange Officers
Alan Wylie, Chair , 2013-14 RI Youth Exchange Committee
alanwylie4@gmail.com

2. Welcome!

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Rotary Youth Exchange
An Opportunity of a Lifetime

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Youth Exchange Program Summary
• Two Programs
– Short Term Program
– Long Term Program
• Both provide opportunities
– Be the ambassador
– Experience new culture
– Make friends for a lifetime

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Short Term Program
• One on One exchange with another student
• Hosted by exchange student’s family
• Normally three to four weeks in each country

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Long Term Program
• For one school year
• Total immersion in the culture
– Will become fluent in the language
• Hosted by 3 families (on the average)
• Supported by Rotary club and Rotary counselor

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Why Rotary Youth Exchange is #1 !
• Careful interviews
• Thorough orientations
• Local support group (Rotary club)
• Activities provided by Rotary
• Low cost
Source – Dillon Snell

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Qualifications of Rotary Exchange Student
• Good student (upper half of class)
• Willingness to adapt to new situations
• Initiative to get involved in activities
• Willingness to speak to groups
• Attitude for giving to others
THE TRAITS FOR BEING AN AMBASSADOR

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Approximate Costs of the RYE Programs
• Short Term -- $1800
– Air fare
– Insurance
– Incidental costs
abroad
– Costs for hosting
• Long Term --$6,000
– Air Fare
– Insurance
– Orientations
– Language camp
– Monthly allowance
– Blazer, pins, slides
Host club provides
allowance

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Schedule
• Short Term
– Club Interview - Oct
– District Interview – Dec
– 1 Sat Orientation with
parents – Mar or Apr
– Exchange - Jun - Aug
• Long Term
– Club Interview - Oct
– District Interview - Dec
– 2 Sat Orientations with
parents – Jan – Mar
– Orientation camp for
Students - June
– Departure – late Jul –
Aug
– Return - following June /
July
Note: Some districts combine
Short Term and Long Term
processes

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For More Information
• Short Term
– Club Rotarians
– Short Term Outbound
Coordinator
– District Youth
Exchange Officer
• Long Term
– Club Rotarians
– Long term
Outbound
Coordinator
– District Youth
Exchange Officer
www.scrye.org
www.yeoresources.org

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Rotary Club Involvement

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Club Involvement is Critical
• No club involvement ==> no program
• Some districts host & send 40+ students
– Belgium, Mexico, Taiwan, …
– Alaska, Ohio, Michigan, Oregon, New York
• Many districts do not promote program
– Very few number of student exchanges
• Improvement certainly possible
– A culture change

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Challenges to Club
• For hosting students (long term)
– Budget ($1,500 to $2,500)
– Host Families (perhaps biggest challenge)
• For sending student (short term / long term)
– Little cost unless providing scholarship
– Provide banners
• For both
– Having committee to lead effort (more later)

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Club Structure for Youth Exchange
• President
• Board of Directors
• International Director
• YOUTH EXCHANGE COMMITTEE
– Club YEO (2-3 year term)
– Counselor(s) for Student(s)
– 3 to 10 members (2 to 3 year terms)
Consider every new member for committee

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Tasks for Club Youth Exchange Committee
• Inbound Program (for long term students)
– Find host families (look for dynamic Moms)
– Appointing counselor (student’s “best friend”)
– Getting student involved early (Rotary club, school
activities, community)
• Outbound program
– Marketing program at schools (scholarship)
– Student interviews
See RI Youth Exchange Handbook

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Rotary District Involvement

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District Committee Tasks
• Gain support of District Governor (invite to events)
• Promote Rotary club involvement
• Establish exchange agreements abroad
• Oversee budget and calendar
• Ensure compliance
• Student activities throughout year

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District Activities
• Outbound Program
– District student interviews
– Family and student orientations
– Rebound orientation
• Inbound Program
– Counselor and host family orientation
– Student orientation after arrival
– Socials (Christmas party, Interact District Conference,
Participation in RYLA, Farewell Party, …)
• District Conference

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District Committee Basic Structure
• Youth Exchange Officer
• Long term inbound chairman
• Long term outbound chairman
• Short term chairman
• Treasurer
• Youth Protection Officer
• Compliance Officer
• Insurance Officer
• Media Officer

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Outbound Program

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Three Elements
• Recruiting
• Interviews
• Orientations

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Recruiting Outbound Students

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Visits to Schools
• How many clubs make visits to schools
– 5 or more clubs
– 10 or more clubs
– 25 or more clubs
• Rotarian does not have to be expert
– Sample presentations are available
• “Opportunity of a Lifetime”
– Experienced people will help

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Message at School
• Looking for 20 (or 30 / 40) students from 150
schools in district
• Fantastic opportunity for those wishing to be
ambassador
• Evening information meeting(s) to be held for
interested students and parents

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Evening Information Meetings
• For Students and Parents
• Those supporting
– Rotarians
– Inbounds and former outbound students (Rotexes)
– Rotex parents
• Tools
– Presentation (slides 4 to 13 in this presentation)
– Videos
– Testimonials (Rotex, Rotex parents, Rotarians)

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Approaching Schools Does Work
• One Rotary club in Houston district visited 3 or 4
schools, each for a day.
• Result for 2009 2010
– Long term outbounds – 13
– Short term outbounds – 10
• Result for 2010 2011
– Long term outbounds – 16
– Short term outbounds – 10
• For 2015-2016, club did not visit school; only 2
applicants

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Ideas from Little Rock NAYEN Conference (Walter Lundstrom)
• Market program as “THE RYE
SCHOLARSHIP” to schools and students
• RYE scholarship provides room, board,
tuition, and monthly stipend
• Cost for other programs range from $15,000
(AFS) to $55,000 (boarding school)
• Student cost for airfare, insurance much less
• Cost to Rotary club to provide scholarship --
$1,500 to $2,500 to host inbound student
• The Authority --walterlundstrom@gmail.com

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Links to Outstanding Videos for Marketing RYE

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Interviewing Outbound Student Applicants

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Club Interview
• First interview
• Conduct in Rotarian’s home -- 30 min
• Interview parents separately
• Determine if student committed
• Review recommendation of school carefully
• Recommend student for district interview only if would
be excited to host student in own home

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District Interview
• In Houston, all day Saturday session
• For students and parents
• Involve Rotarians and Rotex
• Sample interview questions available (look for attitude)
• Final student acceptance decisions difficult

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Decision Making
• Factors to consider
– How many students can accept (based on expected
number of host clubs)
– Likelihood that student will succeed in new culture /
language environment
– Would interviewer be willing to host student in own
home?
• Better to say no than to have student fail

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Outbound Student Orientation

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Schedule for Orientations (Houston)
• Long Term Students
– With Parents (2) – January and March
– Student 4-day orientation camp in June (use Rotex)
• Short Term students
– March

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Orientation Topics
• What is Rotary
• Why does Rotary sponsor Youth Exchange
• Preparation for departure
• Helpful hints for time abroad

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Preparation for Departure
• Importance for learning the language
• Knowing the country culture
• Passport, VISA, Insurance, Airline tickets
• Immunizations
• Gifts, Photography, Luggage, Packing
• Making good first impressions
• Blazers, trading pins, speeches
• Slides for Rotary club presentation

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Helpful Hints for Year Abroad
• Rules and expectations of Rotary
• Being the ambassador
• Adapt to Host Family, 1st night questions
• Importance of Rotary counselor
• Participation in School
• Homesickness / Getting Involved
• Limited communications home
• Making close friends, speaking language
Note: Sample Powerpoint presentations available

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Inbound Program

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Two Orientations
• Counselor and Host Family Orientation in July (prior to
student arrival)
• Student orientation week-end 1 to 2 weeks after arrival
– Ohio Erie Multi District video used to address abuse /
harassment

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Host Families and Counselor Orientation
• BASIC RULE for host families -- TREAT STUDENT AS
YOUR OWN!
– Responsibilities
– Rules (Curfew, …)
– Freedoms
Students are here to learn and understand our
way of life and are instructed to adapt, adapt,
adapt…

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Sample Topics to Cover at Orientation
• What is Rotary and its purpose?
• Who are Rotary exchange students?
• Expectations – families, counselor, students, clubs
• Arrival and settling in
• Student transition throughout year
• Insurance, Finances, Travel, School
• Rotary involvement & Support system
• Activities and calendar
• End of the year
• Other topics
• Student Protection

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Rotary Counselor Is Key to Success
• Year-around Rotary contact for student and host families
• Best friend to help solve problems for student and host
families
• Important to prepare -- stay ahead of the challenges that
will face student
• Good idea -- counselor-in-training for following year

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Student Orientation
• Stress high expectations for being ambassador
• Orientation topics
– Adapt to host family
– Applying oneself at school
– Make right set of friends
– Become involved in Rotary club and at school
– Be known in the community
– Communicate to Rotary back home
• Strongly recommend using Rotex

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Host
Rotary
Club
Host
Families
Exchange
Student /
Counselor
Your
Community
School
Friends in
High School
Host
Rotary
District
Challenges for the Rotary Youth Exchange Student

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Short Term Exchanges

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Two Categories
• Home stays
– Most of our experience
• Camps (can include college students)
– Conducted Europe, Turkey, California, …

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Home Stays
• 1 on 1 exchange with another student
• Hosted by exchange student’s family
• Normally 3 to 4 weeks in each country
• Often apply for long term program following year

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Camps
• Brings students together from several
countries
• Examples
– Wilderness camp in Canada
– Bicycle camp in Taiwan
– Turkey
– California

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Budgets

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Rotary Youth Exchange District Budget
• Potential Sources
– District
– Outbound Student Flat Fee System
• Each outbound student fee the same
• Everyone wins with Flat Fee System
– Student cost same for all outbound countries
– Student fees help district to finance program
– Student cost is 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of other major
exchange programs

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Outbound Student (Flat Fee System)
• Student Fees to district cover the following:
– Airfare
– Insurance
– Orientation Camp
– Business Cards
– Blazer
– Trading Pins, shirts
– Orientations
• Balance used to help run program

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Club Budget
• Student allowance
• District activities for students
– Orientation Week-end
– Youth Exchange Conference in Tulsa
– Rotary District Conference
• T-shirt and Sweatshirt
• Other (Basic cell phone, Rotary lunches, Xmas present,
…)

54. Paybacks

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Paybacks on Outbound Side
• Student
– Year of a lifetime
• Natural Parents
– Proud to see son or daughter grow
– Often become Rotarians; become leaders in RYE
• Sponsor District and Rotary Club
– Contributing to Rotary 5th avenue of service
– Potential new Rotarians
– Potential new host families

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Paybacks on Inbound Side
• Host Families
– New son or daughter
– Become more familiar with world
• Host District and Rotary Club
– Actively promoting peace in the world

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Presentation Summary

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Summary of Long- and Short-term Programs
• Overview
– Good summary for presenting to outbound applicants
and parents
• Rotary Club Involvement
– Club committee is essential for program to be
successful year after year
• Rotary District Involvement
– Important to delegate responsibilities amongst
committee members

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Summary of Long- and Short-term Programs (continued)
• Recruiting Outbound Applicants
– Conduct numerous information meetings across
district to promote program, utilizing Rotex
– Repeat year after year, so students know you are
coming
– $15,000 to $20,000 Scholarship !!!!!
• Interviewing Applicants
– Insist on quality – better to say no than to have
student fail

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Summary of Long- and Short-term Programs (continued)
• Student Orientations
– Emphasize expectations are high for being
ambassador for Rotary
• Counselor / Host Family Orientation
– Treat students as your own
– Importance of preparation – staying ahead of the
challenges that will face student
• Short Term Exchanges
– Valuable introduction to new culture
– Often short term students apply for long term

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Summary of Long- and Short-term Programs (continued)
• Paybacks
– Student, parents, sponsor Rotary, host Rotary,
and host family
• All have their individual rewards of the heart
• All play their part to making the world a better place

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Questions?

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Accessing Presentation Materials
Files will also be uploaded to Dropbox
Please leave your email addresses

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