Rotary Youth Exchange is entering another exciting year filled with new beginnings, heartfelt goodbyes, and opportunities that change lives around the world. As students come and go, dedicated volunteers step into new leadership roles to ensure this life-changing program continues to thrive. Read on to see all of the exciting things the students are up to and learn how your club can be involved!
Lot’s of things are changing at this time. First 14 new inbound students will be arriving in August. In July we will be saying goodbye to 10 current inbound students. We will be sending 6 new outbound students in August and welcoming 6 outbound students home after a year away. Sending and receiving this many students leads to a tremendous amount of time and effort by a large group of people. We should thank the students, their parents, their host parents here and abroad, their club youth exchange officers and counselors, and the district rotary leadership team of coordinators and administrators as well as the district Rotary Clubs who support our work.
We are losing Bill Prichard after three years of leadership as chair. Bill is moving into leadership position in Central States known as a correspondent who will be facilitating exchanges between Europe and the world. Robert Dent and Jan Bonsett-Veal will share the responsibilities of the chair beginning July 1. John Bonsett-Veal will begin as oubound coordinator; as Carl Kisely retires. Thankfully John Holevoet and Ken Hein will continue as inbound coordinators and Nancy Schmidt and Erin Kujak as STEP coordinators.
Plans to improve the support and training of the club youth exchange officers and counselors are almost completed. We are hoping to provide a program that is helpful and workable. Currently Janine O’Rourke chairs a committee that has met since last year and is planning a training schedule and revising and improving the YEO handbook and related documents.
Those of us who work with Rotary Youth Exchange commit our time because we love the relationships that form between all of our students and us and the people in the countries that are visited. We believe this is a vital part of Rotary that benefits the many members of the clubs that sponsor and host these young people. We ask all district 6250 clubs to consider joining in this mission.
Want to hear from one of our RYE students? Take a listen to this quick podcast to hear all of the excitement Pedro has had in Wisconsin and beyond in one short year!
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wizm-la-crosse-talk-interviews/id1713754407?i=1000774736709