So your child is interested in becoming a Rotary Youth Exchange Student?
Hear from previous parents about our program and why it’s a great choice for you, your child and your family:
You can also read some testimonials from parents of former exchange students on our testimonials page.
How are students prepared for the exchange?
The District committee arranges training in a wide range of areas which are primarily undertaken in a series of orientation camps prior to departure.
These include personal development, public speaking, communication skills, cultural awareness, personal protection and financial management. This is to prepare the student as much as is possible for the exchange year. Parents are required to be involved in this training and therefore gain an appreciation of the many issues, which will confront the student during the year.
Rotary’s Code of Conduct
Rotary International, in line with its objective to provide the best student exchange program, has developed a worldwide certification process for all participating clubs and the necessary infrastructure of the program.
As part of its working with youth policy, the Board of Rotary International has made the following statement as a Code of Conduct for all Rotarians participating in youth exchange:
Rotary International strives to create and maintain a safe environment for all youth who participate in Rotary activities. Rotarians, Rotarian’s spouses, and partners, and other volunteers must safeguard the children and young people they come into contact with and protect them from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.
What is the commitment expected of you as a family?
- Complete all the necessary paperwork promptly as requested.
2. Attending all required orientations and debriefs – and not asking for permission to not attend due to dance recitals, family holidays etc. The answer will be no. No orientations = no exchange.
3. Attending Rotary meetings to get to know your child’s sponsor club, as well as their fundraiser events/activities. Getting involved with your sponsor club is essential as this keeps them engaged for future students.
4. Meeting all the financial commitments including flights, insurance and spending money. Click here for more information on program costs.
5. Obtaining visas i.e. this may require travel to Sydney or Brisbane. Note: this can be the hardest part! Our Country Coordinators and travel agent will support you.
6. Most importantly – supporting the growth of your child… and encouraging them to be independent! We don’t want parents to be ‘managing’ the exchange process for the students – but supporting. We will not accept students into the program if we think the motivation for exchange is being driven by the parents.
Hosting inbound students (Long Term Program)
The long-term program is not a direct family exchange… however we do require outbound students families commit to either:
- hosting a minimum of 3 inbound students for 3-4 months each, usually within 2 years of your own child’s exchange. This can be before they depart, while they are on exchange, and/or after they return. Note that in some instances this might be 2 students for 5 months each or something similar, depending on your location.
- We of course understand that individual circumstances may dictate that you are not able to host a student in your home so hosting yourselves is not mandatory. However in these these circumstances we request that you assist us in sourcing other families in the local area who can be host families to meet the commitment outlined above.
Why do we ask this?
- Because not being able to find host families if the #1 reason why Rotary clubs say NO to hosting inbound exchange students. And if they won’t host an inbound student they can’t sponsor an outbound, which means we can’t send students, including your own child, on exchange.
- Because Rotary clubs are already contributing to the exchanges financially to the tune of several thousand dollars per student, and this is one way we can help to make it easier for them.
- Most importantly, because your own child is being generously hosted by families overseas for 12 months so we think it is only fair that the parents of our own outbound students return this incredible opportunity to other families and students. This a, or help us to find other host families who can reciprocate this hosting. This also aligns with our Rotary motto of Service Above Self.
Please note that the host student/s might not be from the same country your own child exchanged with.
Host families do not need to be members of Rotary, but they will still undertake our detailed host family approval process.
Inbound hosting will be discussed with parents at the District Student Interview Day.
Click here to submit a host family application or an expression of interest to find out more.
For families of students participating in short-term exchange, note that this is a family-to-family swap so hosting is a mandatory requirement of the exchange.
