The Rotary International Youth Exchange Program is a tremendous adventure which each year enables thousands of young people to travel to distant parts of the world to live and study in a different environment. The prime purpose of the program is to promote international understanding by granting young people a unique opportunity to broaden their knowledge and widen their horizons. The ultimate impact that the program will have on the lives of the students fortunate enough to participate in it is probably incalculable. Many of these young people will be leaders of their communities in the future.

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM

1.  To further international goodwill and understanding by enabling students to study, at first hand, some of the problems and accomplishments of people, in lands other than their own.
2. To enable students to advance their education by studying for a year in an environment entirely different to their n and by undertaking study of courses and subjects, not normally available to them in secondary schools of their own country.
3. To broaden their own outlook by learning to live and meet people of different cultures, creeds and colors than their own, and by having to copy with day-to-day problems in an environment completely different to the one they have experienced at home.
4. To act as Ambassadors for their own country by addressing Rotary Clubs, community organizations and youth groups in their host country and by imparting as much knowledge as they can, of their own country and its problems to the people they meet during their year abroad.
5. To study and observe all facets of life and culture in the country where they are hosted, so that on their return to their home country they can pass on the knowledge they have gained by addressing Rotary Clubs, youth groups and community organizations.

 

ELIGIBILITY

1. Participants should be secondary school pupils in good health who will be between the ages of 15 ½ and 18 at the beginning of their year abroad unless a different age range is mutually agreed by the participating Rotary Clubs and Districts.
2. Applicants must be of good character and reputation and should preferably have a history of community involvement.
3. Applications should have above average academic abilities, and must have outgoing and pleasant personalities to fit them for the roles as ambassadors for their countries. They must have the ability to accept discipline and be capable of adjusting to new and strange conditions.
4. All applicants are selected solely on merit. Sons and daughters are eligible to participate in the program but receive no special preference in selection.

 

APPLICATIONS, SELECTION AND ENDORSEMENT

1. The final date for submission of applications by students to the local Rotary Club should be late September of each year. Applications at Club level must be submitted on the appropriate forms to the Rotary Club in the student's home town or nearest Rotary Club.
2. A selection committee comprising of Rotarians, spouses and others appointed by individual Rotary Clubs shall interview students and their parents during September and submit their successful candidate's application, on the official Rotary application form to the District Office no later than October 30, 2012. Rotary Clubs should not accept as a foregone conclusion that their nominees will automatically be endorsed by the District Selection committee at the November 10, 2012 Interviews.
3. Final endorsement of Club-selected candidates will rest with the District Selection Committee and such endorsement is subject to the District Committee being able to arrange hosting through ESSEX with a District outside of the United States. No proposed candidate will be considered as an official Rotary Youth Exchange Student unil he/she is accepted as such by a Rotary Club in another country through another country's District Committee.
4. Between the date of selection in November and the departure of the students the following August, the District Committee will arrange briefing and orientation meetings for all outbound students. It is mandatory that at least one parent, but preferably both, attend these sessions with the students.   

 

DISTRICT YOUTH EXCHANGE (DYE) OFFICERS

The District Youth Exchange Officers is comprised of a District Chairperson, District Inbound, Outbound, Rotex and Short-Term Chairs, Executive Administrative Coordinator and Treasurer. Together, the team provides oversight of the training, guidance, administration and communication to all of the youth exchange volunteers and exchange students within District 7390.

In addition, we promote the Rotary Youth Exchange Program to all Clubs and let them know the importance of the exciting and dynamic youth exchange program in the overall plan of Rotary International to bring peace and understanding in the world. We encourage participation in hosting inbound students and in recruiting outbound students.

Our goals are to recruit, select, and provide orientation for well qualified young people from all parts of the District and educate club youth exchange representatives on the principles of a club program and changes in government and/or Rotary International policies. The officers along with the help of youth exchange volunteers from the York, York-North, Hershey, Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Mechanicsburg-North and Lancaster Rotary Clubs provide events to help prepare and develop our Inbound, Outbound, and Short Term Exchange students throughout the year.

The District Chairperson represents District 7390 in our District’s membership in the Eastern States Student Exchange (ESSEX), a multi-district rotary international exchange association comprised on 35 Rotary Districts. ESSEX carries out the placements of Inbounds and Outbounds for our District and provides us with material and information so that we remain current with all of the Rotary International Youth Exchange governing policies as well as keep us in compliance with the United States Federal Laws and Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET).

 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ANNUAL TESTING

In early 2011, the U.S. Department of State established an annual testing requirement for all Local Coordinators of the Youth Exhange programs nationwide based up their review and understanding of the Federal Regulatiosn 22 CFR Part 62.25 dated October 27, 2010. This regulation can be found here.

The regulations state that all Local Coordinators are required to take this test prior to any contact with an Inbound exchange student and access to the student's information through applications or any other means. ESSEX has determined that Local Coordinators include the Rotary Club Youth Exchange Chair, Club Inbound Counselors, District Youth Exchange Officers and District Youth Exchange Committee Members.

Once you have been identified as a Local Coordinator, you will need to read and review the Federal Regulation 62.25. At the same time, your name, Club affiliation and e-mail address will be sent to the ESSEX Compliance Officer who wil in turn submit your information to the U.S. Department of State. The ESSEX Compliance Officer will then follow-up with an e-mail to you to let you know your name has been submitted and will attach to the e-mail the Federal Regulation and a study guide. You will then shortly receive an e-mail from no_reply@traincaster.com. This is NOT JUNK, but may be caught by your spam filter. Therefore, either adjust your e-mail system in advance so it will accept this e-mail or check your Junk Mail for it and move it to your inbox. This message will include your username and password so that you can access this testing at http://doslocalcoordinatortraining.traincaster.com. The test can be taken numerous times until it is passed. The questions will change every time. We have had others take this course and it should require 20-45 minutes to read the introduction and take the test. When you pass the test, you will receive a notice and be able to print a certificate documenting that yo have completed this annual requirement. The ESSEX Compliance Officer will receive notice when you have passed this government requirement and he will forward a list of those who have passed to the District 7390 Youth Exchange Chair and District Office for the files.

 

ROTARY CLUB YOUTH EXCHANGE VOLUNTEERS (age 18 and older)

1. Student Protection Waiver (YE321) - MUST BE COMPLETED EVERY 365 DAYS!
2. Volunteer Application (YE320) - One per volunteer, non-host family.
3. Volunteer Reference Form (YE318) - TWO REFERENCES PER VOLUNTEER! References CANNOT be a family member and ONLY ONE current or former Rotarian allowed.  

  

OTHER YOUTH EXCHANGE FORMS/DOCUMENTS

• Guarantee Form for Inbound Students
• IB99 - Inbound Student Index
• Inbound Student Forms Index Tailored to D7390
• HF299 - Host Family Forms Index
• Host Family Forms Index Tailored to D7390
• OB599 - Outbound Student Index
• Student Protection Policy Allegation Reporting Guidelines 
• Catalog & Order form
• Calendar of Events
• Youth Exchange & District 7390
• Department of State Regulations
• Student Protection Policy
• ESSEX Brochure
• YE Handout from 2012 District Assembly
• Club Reference Guide - Coordination for Inbound Student Arrival & Integration

 

 

EMERGENCY CONTACTS:

• District 7390 Governor - Dennis Zubler, 717-805-9352, dennis.zubler@gmail.com
• District 7390 Governor Elect - Hector Ortiz, 717-608-0444, richie1166@msn.com
• District 7390 Governor Nominee - John Judson, 717-877-0871, drjudson@aol.com
• District 7390 Student Protection Officer - Dr. Susan Kegerise, (W)717-657-5100, skegerise@hannasd.org
• District 7930 Youth Exchange Chair - Linda Spotts, (W)717-920-5250, (H)717-652-7548, crosswinds@pa.net
• ESSEX Student Protection Officer - Ron Smith, (H) 610-277-7553, (C)215-896-6870, rsmith@materialsresources.com
• US Department of State - 1-866-283-9090 or jvisas@state.gov   

 

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Inbound	Applying to be an Outbound Student	Outbound Students
Host Families	Club & District Volunteers	STEP (Short-Term Exchange)

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