Just for Parents
Parents, we know that you may have concerns and questions about Youth
Exchange.
This section is designed to address those questions.
Internationally Approved Standards for Educational Travel
The ESSEX Rotary Youth Exchange Program is a member of the Council on
Standards
for International Educational Travel (CSIET), a nonprofit organization
committed to
setting standards for international educational travel and
to monitoring compliance
with those standards. ESSEX Youth Exchange Program
is also approved by U.S. Department
of State (USDoS) and Department of
Homeland Security.
Cost
Other exchange programs cost from $7000-10,000. It is estimated that
if the
student paid for all the expenses for a cultural/study year in
another country it would
cost up to $10,000, or more. So,
essentially the Rotary Youth Exchange
Program is a scholarship which covers
the majority of the cost of a year living
and studying abroad.
Rotary’s Long-Term Youth Exchange Program is much less expensive
than other
exchange programs. It is organized and administered by volunteer
Rotarians and
their families, working through local Rotary clubs,
Rotary districts, and regional
levels like ESSEX. As volunteers, they
screen
applicants, select the students, prepare
them, and arrange for host families,
visas, travel, insurance, school admission, etc.
Host families are selected
on the basis of quality, not because they are compensated.
Because the program is staffed by volunteers, Rotary is able to make
youth exchange
opportunities accessible to young people of all backgrounds
and
economic means.
In some cases there may be scholarships to help defray
those exchange costs that
are normally borne by the parents. Talk to
your
local Rotary Club about your
individual situation.
Parents of outbound students pay for:
- an application fee, insurance, passport/visa costs, airline travel,
clothing, extra spending money, and some trip and tour costs.
- orientation and/or processing fees which vary from district to district.
- a small fee to the ESSEX-approved travel agency for travel planning
services, which include obtaining visas and providing country-specific
information.
- additional exchange-specific costs for such items as special school
trips,
extracurricular activities or optional extensive sightseeing trips.
Host Rotary clubs pays the following for inbound students:
- all basic costs like school tuition (where applicable), a home and
food.
- transportation to school and some activities.
- Approximately $60 per month spending money (varies by country).
Academic Standing and College Entry
Some U.S. high schools accept credits from foreign schools; however,
this depends
upon your school system and the foreign school. To get credit,
your child must make
arrangements with your local school principal prior
to his or her departure.
Some students do their exchange following their graduation from high
school and
before they start college. The exchange experience usually
enhances
a student’s
resume and application. Most colleges and universities
look on the exchange experience
as one of growth and expansion of the
student’s capabilities, drive and perspective.
Often colleges will defer admission for a year while a student experiences
life and
additional study in another country.
Some universities give up
to six credits for a
foreign language, but your child must
apply
for it with his or her particular school’s administration.
Being away in a foreign country has a powerful broadening and an accelerating
effect
on your child’s maturing process. Managing their finances
and making decisions influence
their independence. They develop a confidence
in speaking before groups. They develop
a tolerance toward the life, culture
and personalities of other people. And they become
fluent in the language
of their host country. They experience people, situations and
personal
growth they wouldn’t experience at home. All of this makes them
better
equipped to handle college life. For many, it provides more focus
on what they want to
accomplish in college and after they graduate.
Safety
The Rotary Youth Exchange Program is one of the safest exchange programs
in the
world. Because we working with Rotarians at the local club level,
great care is taken to
ensure the safety of students. Students are required
to sign an agreement to avoid
activities that could lead to dangerous
situations such as driving, drinking or drug usage.
They are counseled
before leaving their home country on how to best manage
themselves in
the foreign culture. In addition, ESSEX has a Sexual Abuse and Harassment
policy and procedure designed to protect every student that is in the
care of our Rotary
clubs. Similar policies and procedures are required
for our international partners.
The Youth Exchange program also monitors situations in our partner countries.
When countries are determined to be high-risk areas, they are taken off
the exchange country list.
Supervision, Guidance and Counseling
Our supervision and guidance are simply superb. We take our surrogate
parenting
responsibilities very seriously, great care is taken to select
host families, and local
youth exchange officers serve as counselors
to
students. Because the exchange is
established through local Rotary clubs,
club members are directly involved in the welfare
of these students.
Students
often attend Rotary club meetings. They get to know Rotarians
who are
generally the local business and professional leaders of that community
and can
assist with problems that arise. At times of immediate need,
students
who are away from
home are more comfortable knowing that Rotarians of
their host club are available to
help and offer guidance.
Touring the Other Country
While this is not a tourist program, supervised travel is sometimes available
through the host
families
and members of Rotary Clubs. Also group tours may be
arranged by Rotary
which are usually at the student’s expense.
For your further information refer to A Primer for
Exchange Students at
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/downloadcenter/pdfs/752.pdf
Each student and family must agree that the exchange
will be governed by the
Rotary Rules.
> Directory
of Former Rotary Exchange Students & Families
> Reading
List & Bookstore
> Just for Students
> Just for Teachers
> Just for Hosts
