WESTFIELD – Area teenagers seeking an opportunity for foreign travel and study this summer are encouraged to apply for the Rotary International Youth Exchange sponsored by Rotary District 7890, the Rotary district which include the Westfield and Southwick clubs, as well as many other Rotary clubs in western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut.
Richard Friedman, the district’s chairperson for the youth exchange program, said that the program “helps high school students around the world nurture an interest in international goodwill and develop a compassion and understanding of people in other countries.”
He said that the summer program matches each participant with a family in the country of his or her choice so the student can spend three or four weeks exploring the area with a host ‘brother’ or ‘sister’.
Then, Friedman explained, the host will become the guest when he or she accompanies his or her erstwhile host back home where he or she will return the favor and show the visiting youth a slice of Americana.
“They are like ambassadors of peace and goodwill sprinkled around the world” Friedman said and he pointed out that participants will not miss any school time and will not have to learn a language.
Applications for the program may be downloaded at http://www.exchangestudent.org where videos and testimonials about the program are also available.
Additional information is also available from Friedman at 612-202-1995 or at [email protected]. The deadline for applications is March 1.
Michael Roy, the District 7890 governor, said that Rotary sponsors a second exchange program which is a full year long
In that program, a student will leave in late August and spend the entire school year abroad.
Although the application deadline for the 2015 iteration of the program has passed, Roy said “The New Year is a good time for families to begin discussing this amazing opportunity with their teens for the coming year.”
