District 5100 – SW Washington and Oregon
Decades of Participation:
District 5100 has been participating in youth exchange since 1970. Our first exchange was with the Philippines. To date, our district has sponsored and hosted over 2500 students. We have learned valuable lessons about the exchange student training process and strive to both prepare and support our students and their families to the best of our ability.
Strong Relationships:
Our District makes a practice of maintaining individual relationships with the Rotary Districts abroad that we exchange with. During the course of years, members of the District Youth Exchange Committee (DYEC) correspond with, and meet, the Rotarians responsible for exchanges abroad (their Country Officer “counterparts”). Local clubs in our District are supported in student recruitment and training by the DYEC.
Our Breadth of Experience:
We are fortunate to have many Rotarians who have participated in all phases of RYE in our District. This includes Rebound students and Rotex (previous Rotary Exchange Students) who help with club recruitment and student training; past and present host families who interview and train prospective host families; and past and present families of Outbound students who help new families find answers to their questions as they prepare themselves for their student’s participation in the program.
Although the exchange lasts just one school year, participants should think about the exchange as a 3-year program.
- The first year (the Outbound Candidate year) is all about preparing for exchange.
- The second year (the Outbound year) is spent abroad.
- The third year (the Rebound year) is a chance to reflect on the lessons of exchange and start integrating them into life back at home.
- After these three years, participants are lifelong Rotex (all former Rotary exchange students), which provides opportunities to network with each other and train future students if desired.
Each participating student is sponsored by a Rotary Club and District near their home. They are then hosted by a Rotary Club and District near their exchange host family and school.
Your sponsoring Rotary District is 5100.