ROTARY DISTRICT 7010

Summer STEP Exchange

Program Guide for Summer Short Term Exchange

Rotary District 7010 Canada

What is the Summer Short Term Exchange?

This program sponsored by Rotary District 7010 offers the opportunity for qualified students to experience a cultural exchange during the summer months. The Summer STEP is a family-to-family exchange experience – students travel abroad to live with a family and then host a foreign student from the family they visit. The entire exchange generally lasts two months, one month abroad and one month hosting in our district. We have a number of countries in Europe that we exchange with. Check with our committee for the most recent list.

Objectives of the Summer Short Term Exchange Program

  1. To promote international peace, understanding and goodwill.
  2. To provide the opportunity for students to experience another country and culture.
  3. To provide the opportunity for both students to learn a new language.

Sponsoring Rotary Club Responsibilities

Recruit and screen applicants

Conduct in home host family interviews

Ensure that selected outbound student attends at least one Rotary meeting before departure

Ensure that both inbound and outbound students attend one Rotary meeting together

Invite inbound student and host family to any suitable Rotary events during the exchange

Invite outbound student to speak to the club upon return from the exchange

Communicate with outbound student while abroad

Obtain Vulnerable Sector Screenings from all family members over 18 years of age

Submit payment of $250 program fee to the District Youth Exchange Treasurer

Applicant Criteria

The student may come from a non-Rotary or Rotary family and must be

between 15 and 18 years old

open to new experiences and ideas

flexible, open and friendly

able to travel either for the month of June or the month of July

able to host for either the month of June or the month of July

Costs

The selected exchange student/family is responsible for all costs of the exchange. It is Rotary’s role to facilitate the suitability and availability of the exchange. The costs to the student/family will be:

Airfare and insurance

Spending money for tours, events, travel costs

Passport

Gift for host family

Food, tours, events, travel costs incurred while hosting thestudent in your home

Procedural Overview

You may recruit outbound summer exchange students from September through January to meet the application deadlines below. Often your club will have a number of applications for the long term youth exchange program. The students that are not selected usually make good candidates for the Summer STEP opportunity.

Students complete the STEP application and submit it to the local Rotary Club youth exchange chair. The chair conducts an in-home interview with the applicant and the family. Applications for qualified students are then signed by the local club president, youth exchange chair and forwarded to the District Summer STEP chair.

The District Summer STEP chair will review the application, contact the student with any additional questions, and then forward the application to the District YE Chair for approval. When the form is returned, the District Summer STEP chair will arrange a match with the corresponding district. Matches are made based on gender, age and interests.

All rules and procedures that apply to the long term youth exchange program also apply to the Summer STEP students.

Deadline

Please send your completed application by January 31st.

Contact Info

Alison Durtnall

7 Bailey Crescent

TIny, ON

L0L 2T0

Cell: 705-627-3816

Email: