Welcome to ...
Rotary Youth Exchange - Florida!
What an exciting adventure awaits you, as a potential Rotary exchange student
or host family, as you look to expand your horizons as they've never been
expanded before.
We invite you to explore our site, learn more about the
program, and, if it's right for you, take those first steps toward one of the
most amazing, memorable, adventurous years of your life.
Who
Are We?
Rotary International is the world's oldest and most international service
organization, with over 1.2 million members in 32,000 clubs, in almost 200
countries. The official Rotary motto is, "Service Above Self",
and Rotarians live their lives in accordance with the Four Way
Test. You can
find out more about our wonderful organization and its many programs and
projects by visiting the Rotary
International website.There are more than 400
Rotary clubs in the eight Rotary districts in Florida. District borders follow
county lines. Click here to see a district map and
listing by county. Each year, over 8,000 high school students participate
in the Rotary Youth Exchange program worldwide, learning a new language and experiencing a
new culture, through the efforts of Rotary volunteers around the globe. The
Youth Exchange (YE) programs in Florida are growing, through the efforts of the
newly energized multi-district organization, Rotary Youth Exchange Florida, Inc.
As you explore this website, you will find much historical
information on District 6970's YE program, which serves as the basis for the
statewide effort. District 6970
has built a dynamic, highly respected Youth Exchange program, which is the
largest in the southeast, and was honored
as the Outstanding Rotary Youth Exchange District in the US and Canada for
2006! That same excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment to excellence is
now spreading throughout the Sunshine State. To learn about program options,
requirements, costs, and more, click here. If you think
you might want to be a Rotary exchange student,
this page would be a good place to start. Or complete our
Inquiry Form and a representative of Rotary Youth Exchange
in your area will contact you.
U.S. Secretary of State
Also in the news:
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ann Stock :
Hosting not only makes a difference in the life of an exceptional student; it
is also an enriching experience for host families and communities. Host families
and communities have the opportunity to learn about other cultures and
traditions, and often establish friendships that last a lifetime.
Host families exemplify some of our country's greatest values -- tolerance,
generosity, civic engagement -- and the goodwill they exhibit helps to create a
positive view of the United States that lasts a lifetime and has a ripple effect
through American communities and the exchange students' communities abroad.
Hosting is a wonderful way to share ideas, celebrate commonalities, bridge
differences, challenge stereotypes, and experience a different culture.
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Visitors since 1/1/06: |
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Site last updated:
23 Apr 2012. |
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Newest
Student Journals |
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Read the journals from
all of our
Outbound students
and Inbound students
To read older journals, check out our
Archives. |
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"I gave my Rotary Presentation in Danish. It felt so good to hear from my
counselor's (who have been with me every step of the way since I've been
here) say that they were proud and impressed with my presentation."
Alison - Outbound to
Denmark |
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" I feel more at home here all the time, and the people I meet and the
memories Ive made will be unforgettable. Ive come to love the people here
and Trieste itself so much, I feel like I could call it home. "
Carlos - Outbound to Italy |
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"Who would have seriously thought that I would sing in a chorus, or
would sing Valentines in front of my entire high School with some good
American friends, or simply run a marathon? So I did. "
Julien - Outbound
to France
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"I am sure I am not the only one who feels that the week went by way too
fast, but once I think back on all the fun times, I realize how much we got
to experience in a very short amount of time."
Elisabeth - Inbound from Denmark |
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"The questions always made me cry but I'm glad to answer because it is my
mission."
Mana - Inbount from Japan |
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"My brain is now divided linguistically and one half thinks in English
and the other in Portuguese, even my speaking becomes disorientated at
times."
Chrisit - Outbound to
Brazil |
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"I'm trying to postpone going home in my mind, because I'm afraid of all
of THIS becoming just another memory. But you know, at least it will be
a great one."
Lori - Inbound from
Croatia
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"There once was a girl who lived in a bubble. She wanted to see more of
the world, unlike most of the people around her. With some help and
encouragement, she became foreign a exchange student. "
Jane - Outbound to Turkey |
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"My experience here has been perfect so far. But time flies by so fast. I
only have less than 5 months left here, so the only thing I have to do is
have fun, keep my eyes open, realize how lucky I am to be here and ENJOY !"
Philippine - Inbound
from France |
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"Random strangers came up to me and smeared paint on my face or sprayed me
mercilessly with carioca, which is just foam."
Kate - Outbound to Ecuador |
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"January and February have been two busy months and there is only about 5
left till Im going home. So the next 5 months is going to be even more
filled with events and fun stuff to do and Im looking forward to it."
Lene- Inbound from Denmark |
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"You will inevitably meet exchange students from all over the world who
you instantly connect with, and all of sudden the world is a lot smaller
than you thought it was."
Madison - Outbound to
France
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"We love out host countries, our exchange year, our families, our friends
and our new languages with all our hearts. Its still a painful subject when
talking about going home in just a few months."
Victoria - Outbound to
Finland |
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"It is so funny and exciting to walk in a group of 15 people and each of
them is from a different country. "
Max - Inbound from Germany |
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"What matters is I am at home. I am happy, and having fun. Brasil has become
a part of me, and every city I visit is leaving its own impact. I am being
changed and there is nothing I can do to stop it."
Anna - Outbound to Brazil |
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"I only have about 120 days left in Thailand, and it saddens me to see
that more than half of my time here is gone. Time flies by so fast, I
have so much more to see and do in Thailand."
Rachel - Outbound to
Thailand
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"Oh by the way, I dropped by France, London, Holland, and Germany for a
little visit. No big d"
Maranda - Outbound to
Belgium |
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"6 months down, 4 months to go. This year has been still unbelievable
and there are still 4 months to go! What else can possibly happen?
Everything."
Kate - Outbound to
Croatia
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"Most kids will say I never want to leave or I am never going home, but I am
much more logical than that. I look forward to going home. I look forward to
telling my story."
Hannah - Outbound to Brazil |
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