
Hello Rotary Club Presidents and Rotary Youth Exchange Officers!
It is time to get your club’s commitment sent in for hosting an inbound student in the 2025-26 year. We are hoping that each club who has hosted a student this year will agree to do so again in 2025-26. We hope that additional clubs will agree to host due to more high schools being willing to accept high school exchange students. As a special incentive, funds may be available to help these “new” clubs experience the joy of hosting an exchange student.

As many of you are aware, we begin the exchange process for our long-term exchange students a bit more than a year in advance of students arriving by seeking club commitments. Making your commitment now allows us sufficient time to plan and our Country correspondents time to arrange exchange agreements. These are individuals who arrange exchange agreements with districts in other countries on behalf of Central States, the multi-district in which our district is included for youth exchange.
The cost will be $1200 for your club to commit to host a student.
If your club wishes to host an inbound student, please complete the attached form (highlighted below) and send it with your check to: Bill Pritchard - RYE District Chair W8159 Beacon Street, Onalaska, WI 54650.
These should be mailed as soon as possible, ideally within 4-6 weeks, which should allow you time to talk with your club boards. In addition to the commitment fee, your club will be billed $1100 in early October, 2024 for 5 mandatory events for your inbound student. These include a student orientation shortly after student arrivals, three weekend get-togethers (usually winter and spring), and the annual Central States Youth Exchange Conference held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This conference hosts Rotarians, inbound, outbound and returning exchange students and will be held in July 2026.
The October fee will only cover the costs described above. Your club will still be responsible for the other items listed on the commitment form, such as school lunches, monthly stipend, phone and school-related expenses.
It is important for you to also understand that if you are not able to fulfill your commitment and we must find another club to rescue your club, there will be some financial obligations for your club. These include the $1200 commitment fee, the $75 per month stipend for 11 months and an additional $1000.
Youth exchange provides a wonderful opportunity for Rotarians to learn more about cultures and traditions from around the world and to share our own by hosting a young person from abroad. By involving the student in your weekly Rotary meetings and service projects, life-long friendships are often created and maintained for many years. Many clubs count the annual club meeting connecting with past inbound students to catch up on their lives as one of the annual highlights. Supporting American youth by sending them abroad and by hosting a foreign inbound student helps build peace, one student at a time. And isn't peace something this world needs a bit more of?
I encourage each of you to consider participating in this wonderful program. If you have never participated, I am happy to come to your club and tell you more about what is involved. Just let me know if you are interested! I am also happy to answer any questions.
Thank you for your service to others as Rotarians.
Bill Pritchard
District 6250
RYE Chair