District 5100 in NW Oregon and SW Washington is a CLUB DRIVEN program. Students interested in the short-term or long-term exchange programs must apply through their local Rotary Club and that Club must be in District 5100.
STEP 1 – Considerations:
The Rotary Youth Exchange program is highly selective, so start planning as soon as possible.
Be an above-average student
Participate in leadership opportunities and school and in the community.
Have examples of your service experiences.
We have 2 programs for students:
Short-term program (STEP)
Apply in the Spring or September for the following summer.
You must be between the ages of 14.5 and 19 to participate in short term.
You can go on more than one short term exchange over different summers
Long-term exchanges (LTEP)
Apply in either the Spring or in September for exchanges beginning the following August.
You must be between the ages of 15 and 18.5 to participate in long-term exchange.
We usually send students during their junior year and may also consider sending as a gap year student.
All District 5100 exchanges begin during the summer; there may be exceptions to the short-term program which can only be determined by the STEP coordinator. For example, if you wish to travel when you’re in 11th grade, you should apply in September of your 10th-grade year. The reason for the early deadlines? Our sponsor Rotary Clubs and district has an extensive selection and orientation process, which helps us identify the best candidates and prepare you well for your time as Youth Exchange students.
STEP 2 – Apply and Interview with your Local Rotary Club
Interviews and selections will be done by the local Rotary Club. If your local club does not have a program, you can contact the District about finding a Club that may be able to interview you. Contact us using the Contact form on our website.
Identify your Local Rotary Club
Chances are Rotary clubs near you are involved in the program.
About 35 Rotary clubs in our District participate.
Identify the club closest to you through our Club Locator.
Determine when the Club Application will be available.
Club Applications come out at different times of the year, but mostly in either March or September.
Complete the Club Application.
Each club has their own process for selecting their student(s).
Check your local club’s website to locate the Club Youth Exchange Officer and ask how to apply.
May clubs also hold events at the local high school or on Social Media to find applicants.
Participate in the Local Club Interview
When the basic application is completed and submitted, work with your local Rotary Club to schedule an interview.
The club will hold interviews and select their candidate and perhaps one alternate for the Long Term Program.
Short Term Program students will be notified of their acceptance into the program.
Parents/guardians will also be interviewed as part of the selection process.
STEP 3 – Be Selected by Club as an Outbound Candidate
Once selected and the Club nomination is received by the District, the student is an Outbound Candidate.
The District will invest time over the next year to prepare the student for exchange through mandatory training sessions, provide support when the students are on exchange and assist in the third year when they return home.
STEP 4 – Complete the Youth Exchange Application
The District will host an application seminar for the students selected for LTEP and STEP in early October.
This event is optional, but HIGHLY recommended to ensure your application is complete and the process understood.
Refer to these documents to assist during the application process. If you were unable to attend the Application Seminar, please reach out to the District Outbound Coordinator to answer any questions and provide guidance.
