ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE HOSTS WEEKEND OF CULTURAL SENSITIVITY & AMERICAN VALUES
"Rotary Youth Exchange is the opportunity of a lifetime to make peace in the world, one student at a time," stated Dustin Haffner, a Junior at Medina High School, sponsored by the Medina Sunrise Rotary Club. Dustin will be living and studying in Colombia , in the 2022 - 2023 school year.
This overnight weekend was filled with programs and workshops that developed understanding of ourselves and others with topics, such as: American values, soft diplomacy, cultural sensitivity training, language training, history and current world events. And in the process, we met new people and made new friendships. These orientations are crucial for our future international ambassadors and help them prepare for many of the obstacles they may encounter with their drastic change in lifestyle while abroad. These programs not only educate the students over important concepts before their exchange, but also allow the students to bond with one another. Rotary believes that having relationships with those experiencing a similar situation can be beneficial to the students.
Whether you are a student, interested in making an exchange, a potential host family for a youth exchange visitor, an interested community member or a volunteer in the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, Rotary Youth Exchange is a worldwide program designed for youth between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. It is a Rotary organization made up of professional people in all walks of life who are experienced and dedicated to the youth exchange program. If you are interested in the opportunity to become a foreign exchange student, or to host one, you can assure yourself that you will be immersed in an experience like no other. You will build international friendships and connections that often last a lifetime, as well as discover new characteristics of yourself that will enhance your self identity. The knowledge you acquire will often be an important tool in your future and will uncover opportunities for the entirety of their lifetime. Rotary’s youth exchange program is not a study abroad program, it is much more. It is a unique opportunity to enhance you life and that of others with the goal of achieving peace one student at a time.
Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) is a premier international student exchange scholarship program for students in secondary school. This scholarship value currently exceeds $35,000 per student.
Since 1929, Rotary International has sent highly qualified young people around the globe to experience new cultures, instill service above self, develop leadership, promote international understanding and world peace, and become youth ambassadors of their local communities. Currently, about 9,000 students are sponsored by Rotary clubs every year. Rotary is a fully accredited member of CSIET - Council of Standards for International Student Exchange: http://www.csiet.org.
Globally minded
Rotary clubs are made up of volunteers who are involved in community service, emphasize high ethical standards, and work toward peace and understanding in the world. Over 1.2 million Rotarians in more than 32,000 clubs create the extensive network that provides support for Youth Exchange.
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ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE O-E MULTIDISTRICT PHOTO (L to R):
Maggy-dog, Pat Kelly-District Outbound Chair, Sue Colville-Hall-District Cultural Trainer
Manny Nunez-Akron, Bob Heydorn-District Chair, Max Singleton-Oberlin
J.B. Schlatzer-Lakewood Sunrise, Naim Brandt-Oberlin
Ian Potter-Nordonia, Onyx Wacker-Lakewood/Bay Village, Madison Baldwin-Akron, Nora Resnick-Chagrin Valley
Dustin Haffner-Medina Sunrise, Elspeth Franks-Oberlin, Zoe Guilonard-Amherst
