Exchange Program
International Exchange Program
The Youth Exchange Scholarships are made possible by the generosity of our overseas partners and local Rotary Clubs in Rotary District 5495. The Scholarships cover room, board, tuition, and a monthly stipend for one academic year. The student or their parent pay the airfare, travel insurance, and orientation fees. The Rotary Youth Exchange program is open to all qualified students 15 to 18.5 years (sophomores, juniors, seniors, and gap year students). Qualified applicants have strong academics, are adaptable to new situations, and demonstrate leadership skills. Students are selected regardless of economic background. Both full school year and short-term summer family-to-family exchanges are available!
More Information
Would you like your child to see the world and learn about other cultures, within the structure of a fully vetted family abroad and with a dedicated Rotary advisor? Would you like them to learn a new language, and quickly become fluent, through immersion? Or would you like to become a host family for an inbound international student who is here in Sedona to experience our culture? For more info and to learn about the current, and upcoming opportunities, please email the Sedona Village Rotary contact, Jennette Bill, at JLBill@outlook.com.
What countries participate in exchange?
Country choices change slightly each year but typically include France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, South Korea, Czech Republic, Austria, Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey, Brazil, Taiwan, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador and Chile. Students are asked to consider 3 countries but may still be assigned to another. It will be important to be open-minded and adventuresome! Other countries may be available. Please inquire.
What is the Timeline?
There are both Long-Term and Summer exchange programs available. More information on each of them, plus the information on how to become a host family, is included below.
Long Term Youth Exchange Program
This program lasts up to 1 year long, and the application must be completed by December of the year prior to the student's departure. The sponsoring club and host family pay for room, board, food, and incidental expenses, while the family pays for the travel and orientation.
For more info on the Long-Term Youth Exchange Program, click the link below.
Short-Term Summer Exchange Scholarship
With this program, your student would live with a family in a foreign country for 4 to 8 weeks and then their student would come to live with your family for the same length of time, usually during summer break from school. Both families take the opportunity to show their foreign exchange son or daughter some of what their country and culture have to offer.
For more info on the Short-Term Summer Youth Exchange Scholarship, click the link below.
Becoming an Exchange Host Family
Hosting normally lasts for 3 ½ to 4 ½ months, but the connections with your exchange
son or daughter normally last a lifetime! Host families are not compensated financially. The program is run entirely by dedicated volunteers. The exchange student receives a monthly stipend from their sponsoring Rotary Club to cover incidentals.
son or daughter normally last a lifetime! Host families are not compensated financially. The program is run entirely by dedicated volunteers. The exchange student receives a monthly stipend from their sponsoring Rotary Club to cover incidentals.
For more info on becoming a Host Family for an incoming Rotary Youth Exchange student, click the link below.