Rotary Club of Galveston Seeks Exchange Club Applications

[October 3, 2012] – The Rotary Club of Galveston is accepting applicants for the Youth Exchange Program of Rotary International District 5910.  Area students who are accepted into the program could have the opportunity to live and attend school in another country for a school year, or they could exchange short term visits (approximately three weeks) during the summer with a student from another country.  Students must be between the ages of 15 and 18½ at the time of departure.  They should be of good character, emotionally stable, able to adapt to new situations, and have a personality appropriate for serving as a good ambassador for the United States.

Applications for school year exchanges should be submitted by November 15,2012.  Short term applications (3-4 weeks) are due November 30,2012.  Late applications will be considered, but opportunities are somewhat reduced.  A meeting where interested students and parents can learn more about the program  is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. October 13, 2012 at Lone Star College (Montgomery Campus), 3200 College Park Drive, Conroe, TX.77384 – Building B, Room 102. 

Short term students exchange visits with a matched student from another country for about three weeks during the summer.  Long term students live as a member of host families and attend school in another country.  Students are hosted by a local Rotary Club.  The Host Club selects host families, arranges school, and provides a counselor for students.  The Host Club also provides an allowance of about $75-100 per month for school year students. Since the Rotary volunteers who operate this program are not paid, the cost is less than half that of most other exchange programs.  Since money is saved on food, school expenses, transportation expenses  (i.e. car maintenance and insurance) while students are on their exchange, the cost of sending a young person on a Rotary Youth Exchange for a school year is usually not much different than the expense incurred with their being at home.

School- year students usually depart for their host countries in late August, although for countries in the southern hemisphere, they sometimes depart in January.  Short term exchanges are arranged during school vacation in the summer, usually on an individual basis.

Countries that have hosted students from this area in recent years include Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Slovakia, Czech  Republic and Sweden.  Since Rotary clubs in this district 5910 have hosted students from a number of additional countries, exchanges with other countries are also possible.

For more information and application forms, contact the Rotary Club of Galveston at 409-692.3838 or email Harold Fattig @ h.fattig@sbcglobal.net;  contact one of the following program representatives: Doris Lockey, Outbound Coordinator, RYE, District 5910; call 936-525-9638 ,  email to: dalockey@msn.com,  or  contact Glen Mattingly, Youth Exchange Officer, RYE, District 5910; call 936-295-6606 , or email to gmattingly@sbcglobal.net.

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