Dedicated Rotary volunteers have kept Youth Exchange vital for decades. Rotarians work behind the scenes to handle the logistics of each exchange to assure the best possible experience for all.

YEX Inbound Students with Monticello Interact Members

Youth Exchange Officers (YEOs) are the program’s leaders at the club level. These volunteers are trained to serve as liaisons between students and the District Youth Exchange Committee, and serve as a resource for Host Families.

One role of a YEO is to promote the Exchange Program to potential Outbound students at the local high school; this may be done by providing an ad or flyer to post on the bulletin board, requesting that the program be mentioned in an assembly, distributing applications, and/or addressing the student assembly. Once applications are received, interviews are conducted with the potential Outbound candidates and the recommended student’s name is submitted to the District Committee. As the club liaison, the YEO maintains contact with the student throughout the exchange year.

In accepting an Inbound student the YEO’s responsibility entails finding, interviewing and screening three host families, meeting the student at the airport or shortly after arrival, overseeing school registration, serving as liaison with the school, coordinating student attendance at District Youth Exchange functions, arranging car pools for mandatory weekends, setting up the monthly stipend, establishing and maintaining regular contact with the student and each host family, completing required paperwork and providing monthly reports to the District Inbound Director.

In addition to the YEO, a same-gender Club Counselor must be appointed to be available to the student. Both YEO and Club Counselor should maintain regular contact with the student to oversee the experience and provide guidance and support.

The YEO should also serve as a liaison with the club, encouraging all members to engage with the student to help provide transportation, entertainment and new experiences, alleviating the daily demands on the host families.

Working with these young ambassadors is an educational and rewarding experience that often creates lifelong relationships.