Will It Build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Yes, it will. More than any other Rotary program, Rotary Youth Exchange promotes goodwill between nations regardless of race, religion, politics, culture, and even cuisine.
You can help interview potential outbound students, vet host families for inbound students, promote the program to outbounders and help secure enrollment for inbound students in your local schools, assist your club’s inbound students with transportation and events, and much more.
Whether you’re already familiar with the program, have a desire to promote international friendships, or have even just seen the benefits of international travel in your own life, consider joining the Rotary Youth Exchange team in some capacity.
Assist Your Club’s Youth Exchange Committee
A great way to experience the Rotary Youth Exchange for the first time is to help out with your club’s committee. Interview students who are outbound candidates. Vet host families for your club’s inbounders. Work with schools. Drive students to and from your club’s meetings. You can even take them out to dinner or invite them to participate in activities that will enrich their exchanges and experiences here in Colorado.
If your club doesn’t have a youth exchange committee, start one!
Become a Club Counselor
Serving as the liaison between the student, Rotary club, host family, and community at large, the Rotarian Club Counselor plays a crucial role in the success of the Youth Exchange program. The counselor serves as the student’s primary Rotary contact, easing his or her transition into the country and the community through regular personal contact throughout the year.
The counselor should enjoy working with young people and be prepared to advocate on behalf of the student should any issues arise during the exchange. Members of a student’s host family are not eligible. Also, if possible, the Rotarian Club Counselor should not be a close friend or relative of other volunteers involved with a particular student (e.g., school principal or host family).
The counselor has the following additional responsibilities:
- Establishing contact with the student before departure or arrival
- Explaining the expectations of the club and the district and maintaining and documenting regular contact (at least once a month)
- Counseling the student in matters such as choosing classes, making friends, and participating in activities
- Helping the student adapt to the culture and language
- Working with the community and the student’s school to ensure that the student is involved in positive activities and community life
- Informing the student about abuse and harassment prevention and creating a supportive atmosphere in which the student feels comfortable discussing any concerns
- Serving as an advocate for the student in any matter
- Contact the Host family once a month to check in on how things are going with the student & the exchange
Become a YEO
Becoming a club YEO, or Youth Exchange Officer, is a great and rewarding commitment. YEOs are critical for locating and vetting host families, securing enrollment in local schools, and for managing the entire inbound exchange for students hosted by that club. For outbound students, the YEO is in charge of guiding potential candidates through the application process at the local level.
The YEO has the following additional responsibilities:
- Serving as liaison between the student and the RMRYE district committeeServing as liaison between the host family and RotaryManaging all aspects of an inbound exchange including host families, schools, transportation, travel, and discipline as neededCounseling the student in matters such as choosing classes, making friends, and participating in activitiesHelping the student adapt to the culture and languageWorking with the community and the student’s school to ensure that the student is involved in positive activities and community lifeInforming the student about abuse and harassment prevention and creating a supportive atmosphere in which the student feels comfortable discussing any concerns
Join the District Committee
The Rotary Youth Exchange District 5450 Committee, or Rocky Mountain Rotary Youth Exchange Committee, is a group of Rotarians dedicated to the Rotary Youth Exchange program. When you join the district committee, you get a broader view of all aspects of the program and receive opportunities for greater engagement.
When you engage Rotary Youth Exchange at the district level, you get to know all of the students in the district. Meeting students from diverse cultures around the world – and seeing how close they all become – is truly one of the most rewarding experiences of the entire program.
Members of the committee can participate as:
Country Contacts
Country Contacts manage relationships with overseas exchange partners in particular countries or districts. This involves coordinating visa requirements for both inbound and outbound students to those particular locations, as well as managing those exchanges from a district level. Country Contacts are required by the U.S. State Department to make contact with the inbound students under their supervision at least once a month and are encouraged to do the same for outbound students.
Inbound and Outbound Program Chairs
Inbound and Outbound Program Chairs manage and oversee both the inbound and outbound programs respectively. For inbound students, this means managing the entire class of students and the coordination of all associated events. For outbound students, this includes managing the entire application, interview, and orientation process for the class.
Overall Program Chair
The Overall Program Chair manages the entire Rotary Youth Exchange program for District 5450. This commitment includes local planning and coordination, as international conventions and commitments.
General Volunteers
General Volunteers are always needed and are welcome to attend any district events. We are always looking for interviewers in December to help question potential outbound students when considering their acceptance to the program. You can attend RMRYE events at the district conference. Or you can even join us in January/February for our annual ski weekend.
Reports
District Committee/Country Contact Forms
- SEVIS Arrival ReportSEVIS Change of Address ReportSEVIS Departure ReportCountry Contact: Monthly Report – StudentCountry Contact: Submit Documents for J-1Rotary International Incident ReportDistrict Volunteer Application & Background Check (opens a new tab)Host Family Background Check Confirmation
YEO Forms
Club Counselor Form
Other Club Volunteers
Resources
Host Family Clearance Process – May 2024
A student cannot move into the home until the full process has been completed.
This includes all signatures, background checks, the interview, training, and references have been contacted.
Contact the Country Contact for status updates & questions.
This process starts when the host family, Parent 1, completes step 1 below. Before starting, we recommend asking the YEO for the Country Contact’s email address & gather your 4 references.
Host Family
1. Please visit the link for the Host Family project here: https://rmrye.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog/15
Youth Exchange Officer (YEO)
1. Please visit the link for the Host Family project here:
Club Counselor Instructions
1. Please visit the link for the Host Family project here:
Country Contact Instructions
Country Contacts will receive all necessary information:
Vocabulary
Not sure what we mean? Here’s a list of important Rotary Youth Exchange vocabulary words and phrases to help you through your journey.
What is RMRYE?
RMRYE stands for Rocky Mountain Rotary Youth Exchange. We’re a 501(C)3 for Rotary Youth Exchange within District 5450.
What is LTEP?
LTEP stands for Long Term Exchange Program. This is the signature program of Rotary Youth Exchange.
What is STEP?
STEP stands for Short Term Exchange Program. This is a great way to experience another culture without spending an entire academic year abroad.
The Experience of a Lifetime
What you can make of any one of Rotary’s youth exchange programs.
Outbounder
A youth exchange program participant sent abroad by RMRYE to live, study, visit, or intern is known as an outbounder.
Inbounder
A program participant sent here to District 5450 by a foreign Rotary district to live, study, visit, or intern is known as an inbounder.
Rebounder
A program participant who has returned home from a youth exchange assignment. This term describes the student whose assignment ended earlier than anticipated, as well as the full-term student whose assignment ended when expected.
Rotex
An exchange program alumnus or alumna.
Sponsoring Rotary Club
The sponsoring club helps assess the good character and suitability of the applicant for the exchange program. Sponsorship means establishing a caring relationship with the candidate and family. The cost to a club to sponsor is minimal, but the rewards can be great as the club follows the progress of the student through what is often a life-transforming experience. Clubs that sponsor outbound LTEP students need not host inbound LTEP students.
Rotary District
A district is a group of Rotary clubs that are linked for administrative purposes. Districts may sometimes join together to form multidistricts that coordinate exchanges in a larger geographic area.