History of Rotary's Exchange Program

Every district in the Rotary International world is encouraged to arrange and participate in Youth> Exchanges. Like most Rotary International programs, the Youth Exchange program began at the local club level and has grown to include more than 60 countries. Each year, Rotary clubs around the world sponsor about 8,000 student exchanges worldwide. Here’s some background on Rotary’s Exchange Program and ESSEX’s involvement.

First Exchanges in 1929

The first documented exchanges were initiated by the Rotary Club of Copenhagen in 1929 and involved only European participants. These European exchanges continued until World War II and resumed in 1946 at the end of the war.

Exchanges between clubs in California, USA and Latin American countries began in 1939, and exchange activities spread to the eastern United State in 1958.


ESSEX Formed in 1966

In 1966, to facilitate the smoother functioning of the program, a number of districts in New England and the middle Atlantic states combined into a consortium called the Eastern States Student Exchange or ESSEX. (This Internet home page includes information for students in the ESSEX of the eastern United States, Bermuda and Canada who are interested in going abroad.)


Official Rotary International Program in 1972

In 1972, the Rotary International Board of Directors agreed to make Youth Exchange an official program of Rotary International.


ESSEX Today

ESSEX has grown to include 31 Rotary districts from Quebec Province, all of New England, most of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, all of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, southern West Virginia, northeastern North Carolina, a section of northeast Tennessee and all of Bermuda. In New York, Long Island and the lower section of Hudson Valley are ESSEX members.

> Purpose and Goals
> What is Rotary?
> What is ESSEX?
> ESSEX Area