Posted by Grant Southwell

World Peace - One Student, one family at a time

Rotary is well known world wide for our efforts to support and grow world peace and understanding. In fact Peace and Conflict Resolution is one of our six area's of focus.
 
What better way to support this goal than to have all Rotary Clubs involved in our very own "Rotary Youth Exchange" program.  Our young people are our future. Why not invest in them in a most realistic way?
 
The Rotary Youth Exchange program is the only program sponsored by RI that permits members of a Rotarian's family to participate - no other Rotary sponsored program allows this to happen, primarily due to the perception of being in conflict of interest or nepotism.
 
 
By sending a young student abroad, and taking one in here,  you are demonstrating your commitment to the ideal of "promoting peace and understanding".   How?  Because the students live in a foreign land for one academic year, living with a local family, going to their schools and living in their culture. In return, they become ambassadors for Rotary and their country, bringing different points of view, deep cultural understanding to the families, the school and the Rotary Club of their adopted country.  It's a two way exchange that benefits all who embrace it.
 
There are many stories of the success of this program from students who participate and clubs that support it. 
 
Here is one I love to promote.  I remember speaking to a student awhile back who applied to the program, was accepted and sent to Japan for a year. On her return, she finished her last year of highschool, entered university, graduated in her field of study and is now employed with an International Japanese Company, with a 6 figure salary, as their senior language interpreter - Japanese-English.  She admitted freely that had it not been for the Rotary Youth Exchange program, she would not have studied languages in University, and would not ever have been considered for the position she now enjoys. She says "Rotary did this for me. Rotary is responsible for giving me direction in my life" THANK YOU ROTARY!!!
 
Your Club can be instrumental in influencing and shaping the lives of our collective youth. Those from our district who go to live abroad , and those international students who live with District 7070 families here.   Why not promote this program in your Club. Why not get involved in ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE. Move out of your comfort zone. Get involved in our wonderful world-wide youth exchange program.
 
Want to know how?  It's as easy as 1) - Get your Clubs commitment to participate,   2) Get 2 - 4 committed host families from your club or community (host families apply here)  3) Select a student to send abroad (students apply here)   (deadline was Dec 1st - but there's always next year!)
 
Start planning now for the 2020/2021 Rotary year.  Thank you so much to the 9 of 54 clubs in our district who have committed to participating in 2019/2020 - YOU are growing world peace and understanding!  Thank you more to the host families who are truly the core of this program - it's through you that students learn and grow and through them that you enjoy similar growth and learning about another culture and country - it leads us all down a road we want to travel.  
 
Your youth exchange committee is working very diligently to reach the goal of 20/20 - That's twenty outbound students and twenty inbound students by the 2020/2021 Rotary year.   How will you help?  Learn more - click here.
 
Happy Holidays all