Youth in our Community – Exchange & Sponsorship Opportunities

Rotary promotes cultural understanding & brings people together, even when they live worlds apart.
Rotary’s exchange programs foster the free flow of ideas and opportunities across national borders.

There are several student exchanges available for high school aged children giving them the opportunity
to visit another country for a 2 month exchange, up to a year.
These students stay with host families selected by Rotary where they have responsibilities
to attend school & learn about their host culture. Sometimes that means a change in food habits,
language skills amongst other lifelong skills.
We’re delighted to receive messages from these students as they grow in their visits.
We’re currently sponsoring Caitlyn, visiting in Japan.
Here’s one of her messages:…………………………… (LINK)

Annually our Club sponsors teens to attend RYLA in Ridgetown.
Many report back to us with gratefulness in attending such a vibrant & life-learning weekend.

We’ve sponsored a child to attend the Ontario Leadership Week in Orillia.
The Rotary Sunrise name is on a team of soccer players in Chatham.

We sponsor one of our members as a rider in the Canadian Cowgirls out of TJ Stables in Chatham.
She acts as an ambassador of Rotary & represents Chatham at their International events.

Sponsorship is also available annually for non-Rotarian professionals to join a Group Study Exchange,
where they learn about their own vocation in a selected host country.
Thailand, Turkey & Australia have been the most recent outbound countries.
Peru & Turkey have been our last inbound visitors.

Rotary Peace Ambassadors is a post graduate university level course in 7 universities
throughout the world to study conflict resolution with the hopes that these students will be part
of the end of conflicts between war-torn countries.
Details of this program are on the Rotary International site.

November 17/08