Rotary Youth Exchange Program

Are you finding yourself in the position of applying for an exchange but having a hard time deciding which program to go for? I have the solution to your problems. To start off, I do not want to compare my program with any other, because I did not try all of them to state which one is the best, or worst, but I can tell you that Rotary Youth Exchange is a great program.

Rotary International.

This is an organization that has been around for over one hundred and ten years. It was founded in Chicago and its main purpose is to bring people together for humanitarian reasons. This means that Rotary offers tons of programs and services and that the Youth Exchange is just one of them.

Student Ambassador.

When you go abroad through this program you agree to be a Student Ambassador, which means that you will have to represent your home country in the best way possible when abroad. You agree to follow the rules and to enjoy your experience. There are the short-term and the long-term programs, as well as RYLA, Camps and the New Generation Service Exchange. 

Short Term:

• usually from three to six weeks.
• you have to host someone;
• that someone has to host you.

Long Term:

• Usually around eleven months;
• your family might have to host someone while you are absent.
• you might have to switch families while abroad.

Camps:

• different camps for different interests;
• no need to host someone.
• usually between sixteen and twenty years of age.

RYLA:

• stands for "Rotary Youth Leadership Awards";
• usually one week long or less.

New Generation Service Exchange:

• between eighteen and thirty years of age;
• trainee and internship periods.
• length varies.

This is pretty much a brief description of some of the services Rotary offers. I have been abroad once for a long-term and soon as an intern for a company based in Colorado. What makes your experience with Rotary amazing? You. You are the one in charge of making everything work because if you show the people you are living with who you really are, they will learn how to love you and respect you. When you are abroad there are lots of people you can talk to if you have a problem, starting with your counselor and then your YEO (Youth Exchange Officer).

Why switching families? Because Rotary wants you to get to know the culture of your host country. Each family lives in a different way and being able to live with many will give you a general idea of how the whole country "works" and what common traditions and customs are throughout the region.

Why wearing a blazer? Because Rotary takes the whole "Student Ambassador" thing seriously, and it is actually quite nice to wear one. I felt like I was part of something. Each pin and patch symbolizes something important, or stupid, basically anything. If it is hanging on your jacket it means that it is important to you and that it is worth showing. It can be a picture from a fun photo booth or a thing that changed your life forever, like a plane ticket.

Is it true that Rotary gives a monthly allowance to its students? Yes. I can not guarantee that you get two hundred dollars each month because that depends on many factors, for example, on where you are living. Anyways, that is the amount that I got each month. 

Is it an expensive program? Absolutely not. I would not call it a cheap investment because everything over ten euros for me sounds expensive, but seriously, compared to other organizations Rotary is very down to Earth. You get what you pay for, which means that they are not going to make money with you. I paid less than half of what my friend spent with another organization, and I have gone skiing for free (and received two hundred dollars every month). To be specific, I paid for:

• the membership fee, which varies depending on your country / district;
• travel insurance;
• airfare tickets;
• visa fees and passport.

But...

Please understand that you will be treated like a mature person since the beginning of the application process, which means that you will have to get everything done by yourself. Rotary is inexpensive also for this reason, the volunteers are always available if you have questions and doubts, but they are not going to do everything for you, they are just going to guide you.

I am not bragging here, I am just trying to protect my experience. I have seen people saying all kinds of things about Rotary without even being aware of what it is actually like, and I think this is not okay. Do not take it off of your list of probabilities, but make it one of them instead.

I loved being a Rotary Exchange Student so much that I have now decided to be sponsored by it again for my internship abroad. I already know that it will be the best experience ever just because these people are working hard to help me come back there, and I could not be more grateful.

- Cristian

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