Youth Exchange

 What is the Rotary Youth Exchange?

Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE), the most successful exchange program in the world for high school students, began in 1927 with the Rotary Club of Nice, France.  In 1939, a more extensive program was initiated between the clubs of California and Latin America, and in 1972, the Central States Youth Exchange Program became the nucleus for major expansion.

RYE is open to families of Rotarians and non-Rotarians.  It is a non-profit program coordinated by Rotary clubs and districts around the world that allows students, at their families' expense, to spend up to a year attending school in another country as a member of Rotary-approved host families.  (Not only is the RYE a non-profit program, Rotarians volunteer their time too, keeping the expenses to participating families at a minimum!)

Internationally, over 8,000 students participate in RYE each year.  Our District 6220, is one of the most active of the 16 member districts in the Central States Rotary Youth Exchange.  District 6220 consists of:  the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Northeastern, Central and Northern Wisconsin.  District 6220 annually prepares, trains and sends approximately 30 USA high school students on year-long Rotary Youth Exchanges to foreign countries.  Likewise, District 6220 annually receives approximately 30 RYE high school students from foreign lands, living with American families.

The Rotary Club of Green Bay West is a member club of District 6220, and has participated in the RYE program since 1980.

The objectives of RYE are:

·  To further international goodwill and understanding by enabling students to study firsthand some of the accomplishments and problems of people in other parts of the world;

 ·  To enable students to advance their education by studying for a year in an environment different from their own;

 ·  To broaden their own outlook by learning to live with and meet people of different cultures and creeds;

 ·  To act as ambassadors of their country, state, and hometown by addressing Rotary clubs, community organizations, and youth groups in their host country; and share as much knowledge as they can of their country and discuss its attributes, good and bad, with the people they meet during their year in a host country; and,

 ·  Following their return form their year abroad, to share with others in their local community and beyond the knowledge they have gained from their exchange experience.

The Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) has depends on qualified volunteers to host a foreign exchange student, OR to become a Rotary Youth Exchange student.