READY TO EMBRACE NEW EXPERIENCES?
The Long Term Exchange Program (LTEP) lasts one year, during which you attend school and live with families in your host country. To gain a greater understanding of the culture, You can gain exposure to the world by staying with at least two, preferably three, host families during your stay. You'll be your countries ambassador. You will also meet new friends and form lifelong international friendships.
Eligibility
Rotary Youth Exchange programs are open to students ages 16 - 18. The year you leave on your exchange you must be at least 16 years old by September 30 and cannot turn 18 years old before September 30. To qualify, applicants should be above-average students who have demonstrated leadership in their community. Candidates should also possess qualities such as flexibility and a willingness to try new things that will enable them to fully experience life in another country and become excellent cultural ambassadors. All applicants must be sponsored by a local Rotary club and complete both a written application and in-person interview. As part of the process, applicants must provide the names and contact information for three potential host families.
Timeline
Students are initially interviewed by members of a sponsoring local Rotary club. This is an information session and interview (in late September or early October) that involves the student and parents. Students are usually selected by October 1st. If accepted, the student moves to the next level of District interviews hosted in Nanaimo, B.C. and Seabeck, WA during the first weekend of December.
Travel
Students must purchase changeable round-trip tickets through our partner agency It's Your World Travel (IYWT). This type of ticket facilitates an emergency return home if required. Departure can be from either Seattle (for US students) or Vancouver (for Canadian students).
Finances
The program is completely administered by Rotary club members, keeping program expenses low. Rotary Clubs in the host country are responsible for school tuition, accommodation and food, and a modest monthly allowance (generally around $100 / month) which can be worth up to $24,000. Typically, students and their parents or guardians are expected to cover an estimated $7,000-$10,000 expenses that are not covered by the scholarship which include:
- Round-trip airfare
- Travel insurance that includes medical, accident, and illness coverage and meets the requirements of the host and sponsor clubs and districts.
- All travel documents, such as passports and visas
- Spending money (over and above the monthly allowance provided by the host Rotary club), ancillary travel, and tours
- Language camp (in some host countries) or other cultural orientation sessions
- Emergency fund for unexpected expenses during the year
Countries
District 5020 currently exchanges in the full year or LTEP program with over 40 Rotary Districts in over 25 countries worldwide. These countries are on most major continents of the world and are selected for their stability and degree of concern about the welfare and safety of our students abroad. The District Exchange Committee will make every effort to place our students in a country on their preference list. Right now, we are trying to offer exchanges to:
Argentina/Paraguay, Colombia, Finland/Estonia, Japan, Spain, Austria, Croatia, France*, Mexico, Sweden, Belgium*, Czech Republic/Slovakia, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Brazil, Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Taiwan, Chile, Ecuador, Indonesia, Poland, Thailand, Italy*
*No Vegetarians
(NOTE: The list of exchange partners is not firm. We'll be trying to finalize our exchange partner list for 2022-23 before the Outbound Interviews the first weekend in December, but there may be Covid related changes)
Interested In Applying?
Rotary Youth Exchanges are administered locally by volunteers, and all applicants must be sponsored by a local Rotary club and district. The first step is to apply with a local Rotary club. If you are not in Rotary District 5020, you must apply with a Rotary club in your home country or district.
To find a club near you click here. Once you locate a participating club near you, you will complete a preliminary application and an interview. If selected you will move onto our district level interviews. Your local club will help guide you through the application and interview process. After the District Level interview, successful applicants will be notified regarding which country they have been selected for.