Spending time abroad with Rotary Youth Exchange is a once in a lifetime experience. Your exchange will encompass different phases that will give you opportunities to grow in new ways and experience a new culture and ideas.

Here is a great story about how lives are changed through Rotary Youth Exchange, Dare to Dream.

The purpose of the Rotary Youth Exchange program is to provide secondary school students with the opportunity to travel abroad, live with a host family, and experience life firsthand in a different country, school, and social environment. Exchange students will gain lifelong advantages through an expanded world view and greater appreciation of the world.

For more information, read A Primer for Exchange Students on the Rotary International site.

Countries and Age Requirements

North Star District (Rotary District 5950/5960) Youth Exchange of Southern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin currently exchanges with many different countries around the world. No matter what your tastes or interests, we probably have a country that will work for you.

Listed below are the countries (subject to change) with which we anticipate exchanging during 2008-2009. Following the country is the maximum age that a candidate may be as of departure, expressed in years/months. Some of the countries that list 18/6 as the maximum age may consider older candidates. This will be determined on an individual basis. No candidate who will become 19 years of age on or prior to a country’s anticipated departure date will be considered. (Note: the receiving country has the option to determine the approximate departure date. Most students depart in July or August.)