For over 75 years, students and host families have broadened their horizons through Rotary Youth Exchange. More than 80 countries and over 8,000 students each year participate in the program, which is administered at the regional level by Rotary Districts and at the local level by Rotary Clubs.

The Rotary Youth Exchange Program is an exchange student program for high school students to spend ten months living with host families and attending school in a different country. Whether you participate in Rotary’s long-term or short-term Youth Exchange programs, you’ll learn a new way of living, a great deal about yourself, and maybe even a new language. You’ll also be an ambassador, teaching people you meet about your country, culture, and ideas. You can help bring the world closer – and make some good friends in the process.  More than 8,000 young people internationally participate in Rotary Youth Exchange programs each year.

 

 

Become An Exchange Student  Host an Exchange Student 

Rotary Youth Exchange students live with host
families and go to school from September to June.
Apply this spring to go abroad during the 2024/2025
academic year.

 

Form lifelong friendships with people around the world.
Students stay with a family for about 3 months and live
with 3 different families during their stay.

Learn more about hosting an exchange student. Fill
out this contact form and we’ll follow up with you.
   

 

Globally Minded

Rotary Clubs are made up of volunteers who are involved in community service, emphasize high ethical standards, and work toward peace and understanding in the world. Over 1.3 million Rotarians in more than 32,000 clubs create the extensive network that provides support for Youth Exchange.

 

  

Low Costs

Rotary Club volunteers administer the program at the local level, which helps keep costs low for students and their families. These volunteers often offer years of experience with students, host families, and fellow Rotarians who are involved in the program.

In addition, the Portland Rotary Club has some funding available to help further defray the costs of the program.

A Commitment to Youth

Rotary maintains a strong connection to youth and young adults. Besides Youth Exchange, Rotary Clubs sponsor youth service clubs such as Interact, Rotaract, and RYLA and offer career development and mentoring programs. Rotary is committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for all participants in its programs, including Youth Exchange.

 

  

Who Do We Exchange With?

Our Club is a member of Rotary District 5100. The District only exchanges with Clubs who meet the high standards of North American Youth Exchange Network, and with whom we have a person to person connection.

Currently we exchange with Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czechia/Slovakia, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland/Estonia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey

 

Long-Term Exchange Students apply at the end of their freshman year or sophomore year. If accepted, the student participates in several orientation and training sessions during their sophomore or junior year.


The student then spends ten months during what would be their junior or senior year in a foreign country, staying with two or three host families Host families in the foreign country are carefully vetted by the local Rotary Club using guidelines established by Rotary International.
Short-Term Exchange Students go through the same orientation and training session as the long term students.

 

Rotary identifies a family in a foreign country with a child of similar age. The Portland student usually spends four weeks abroad living with the foreign host family. The student then brings their host sibling home to stay with their family for four weeks.
The Rotary Exchange Program is a true reciprocal exchange. For each Portland student our Club sends abroad, we can bring in an international student.

For a well rounded experience, we strive to place each inbound student with three host families during the school year. Each family hosts for approximately three months.

Portland families who open their homes to host an international student are critical to the success of the Rotary Exchange Program.

The hosted student is treated as a member of the family – not a guest! Hosting an exchange student is a fun and enriching experience for both parents and children – often resulting in life-long international friendships.