2021-2022 ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board continues to significantly limit or suspend all Rotary activities that require travel or in-person meetings. Although we were all hopeful that the situation globally would have stabilized enough to allow districts to safely resume exchanges, there is simply still too much uncertainty. We must do everything we can to protect our students, families, or volunteers from the risks associated with this dangerous disease.
Rotary Youth Exchange is one of Rotary's oldest international programs and is a key component of Rotary's New Generations and Peace initiatives.
Scholarship recipients spend one full school year attending high school in another country. The friendships, perspectives, and languages gained in that school year are critical to each student's individual growth and to our global capacity for communication, tolerance and understanding.
Rotary District 5750 will have up to three Rotary Youth Exchange Scholarships available for the 2021-2022 School Year. Each of these scholarships provides complete room and board plus a monthly stipend during the 10-12 months the recipients spend overseas and continue to meet the conditions of exchange.
We are currently seeking applications for the following countries: Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico, Taiwan, and Japan.
Scholarship recipients will depart in August 2021 and return home in June-July, 2022. Students will live with families selected, vetted, and trained by Rotary Youth Exchange in the sponsoring Rotary Club.
Prior to departure, students will attend several mandatory training sessions in being a Goodwill Ambassador for Rotary, the United States and Oklahoma.
Applications must be submitted through a Rotary Club of District 5750. Only complete applications will be considered. All applicants accepted by a local Rotary Club, provided the applicants meet the minimum requirements for participation, will be interviewed by the District 5750 Youth Exchange Interview and Selection panel in December. Legal guardians of the applicants must be present – this will be on Zoom and legal guardians will need to be on a different zoom call than student; the interviews occur over the course of 3-6 hours, depending upon the number of applications received.
Club-Level Application deadline for the 2021-2022 school year is NOVEMBER 20, 2020.
Clubs must submit their approved applications to the District Youth Exchange Committee by December 4, 2020.
Note that for every scholarship we award, we reciprocate for our Rotary partners. Availability of these scholarships is dependent in part upon our ability to house students in return. Each Rotary Youth Exchange Scholar who comes to Rotary District 5750 will be hosted by 3 families. While it is not required that applicants agree to host as a condition of being awarded the scholarship, one portion of the application requires assistance with identifying potential host families within District 5750.
Please note: Rotary Youth Exchange for 2021-2022 will be following the CDC recommended travel restrictions due to COVID-19 and should anything change we will send notice.
More information can be found on this site, please send an e-mail to D5750 Youth Exchange Office: Jonna Grant, 5750youthexchange@gmail.com.