Rotary Youth Exchange is back

After a several year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rotary Youth Exchange for Rotary Club of Sedona Village restarted this summer with Sedona student Alana Schrader spending part of her summer in Italy and her exchange sister, Emma, spending part of her summer in Sedona and visiting sites in surrounding areas with Alana and her family.

The Rotary year-long international exchange program has also returned to Sedona this school year. Rotary Club of Sedona Village is seeking a host family to be one of three families to host our yearlong inbound exchange student. The Rotary program is a true exchange in that local Sedona Red Rock High School junior Kaori Emerson will be spending this coming school year in France, living with three host families while attending high school and immersing herself in the French culture.

As one Rotarian expressed, “Hosting an exchange student really helps keep my mind young with fresh perspectives about the meaning of being a human in our world. It truly makes the world a smaller place but makes our hearts infinitely bigger.” Most host families form lifelong friendships with their exchange students.

Rotary in Sedona has been involved in youth exchange for many years, some years sending two and receiving two year-long student ambassadors, as they are called in Rotary. The summer reciprocal exchange program has also been popular with as many as three Sedona youth participating one summer.

Exchange students unlock their true potential to develop lifelong leadership skills, learn a new language and culture, build lasting friendships with young people from around the world, and become global citizens. This program is possible because of the dedication, leadership, and passion of the tens of thousands of volunteers – Rotary members and nonmembers alike – who make this unique program so successful.

Rotary has a vetting process to assure that students are safe and supported by their host family. Host families may or may not have students in the local schools but should be encouraging of their exchange student to be involved in school activities and sports. If you might consider hosting a female exchange student for 3.5 months during the 2023-24 school year or any time in the future, please contact Jennette Bill at 928-301-1363 or JLBill@outlook.com.

Rotary International Youth Exchange in Sedona is provided by the Rotary Club of Sedona Village. Student applications are being accepted now for full year International Youth Exchange in the 2024-25 school year. For information about year-long or summer exchange, please contact Jennette.

Information provided by Rotary Club of Sedona Village.