Are you interested in learning a new language or meeting new people? Rotary Youth Exchange is the opportunity of a lifetime for the more than 8,000 students who participate each year. By sharing your own culture and embracing a new one, you help foster global understanding—and learn a great deal about yourself and your home country in the process.
Study Abroad Program and Scholarship Opportunities Information.
WHAT IS A ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE?
Youth Exchange is a study-abroad opportunity for young people who spend anywhere from a few weeks to a full year as an international student hosted by local Rotary clubs.
WHY EXCHANGE?
IS AN EXCHANGE RIGHT FOR ME?
Exchanges are for people ages 15–19 who:
- Have demonstrated leadership in their school and community.
- Are flexible and willing to try new things.
- Are open to cultural differences.
- Can serve as an ambassador for their own country.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Costs vary from country to country. Tuition, room and board with a host family and a small monthly stipend are provided by the hosting Rotary Club. Participants are generally responsible for:
- Application fee, currently $300 + $100 for language program (see Outbound Student Guide for details)
- Round-trip airfare
- Insurance
- Travel documents (such as passports and visas)
- Spending money, additional travel, and tour fees
HOW CAN I APPLY?
Contact your local Rotary club to see if it participates and to learn more about the types of programs offered, and specific application process required. The application process typically takes place in the fall for and exchange beginning the following summer.
Find your local Rotary Club – Ask us a question
CAN I HOST AN EXCHANGE STUDENT?
Hosting an exchange student can be an incredibly rewarding experience for your family, providing an international experience without leaving home. Host families provide room and board and share their lives with exchange students, involving them in family, community, and cultural activities.
Why Host?
Interested in learning more about being a host family?
D5130 RYE and COVID VACCINATIONS:
Requirements for the District Leadership Team, Inbound students, Outbound students, Club Youth Exchange Officers, Club Inbound & Outbound counselors and eligible Host Family members:
- Full vaccination, per CDC guidelines.
- Booster recommended for eligible individuals, if available.
- Additional vaccine requirements will be requested as they are added to the CDC guidelines.
- If local guidelines are more stringent than those of CDC, then we will adhere to local guidelines.