A District 5330 Youth Service Program
Rotary Youth Exchange
Building Peace One Student at a Time
Rotary Youth Exchange gives students the opportunity to experience another culture, learn a new language, build lifelong friendships, and become global citizens — rooted in peace, understanding, and connection.
Chad Allen Farran
Peace is built one young person at a time.
Rotary describes Youth Exchange as a program that “builds peace one young person at a time” by helping students learn a new language, discover another culture, and become global citizens. Exchanges are available for students ages 15–19 and are sponsored by Rotary clubs in more than 100 countries.
Students live in another country, attend school, experience daily life with host families, and serve as young ambassadors for their home country and Rotary district. They return home with a broader view of the world — and a deeper understanding of what it means to build peace through relationships.
What is Rotary Youth Exchange?
Rotary Youth Exchange is an international exchange program for students ages 15–19. Students live in another country, attend school, experience daily life with host families, and serve as young ambassadors for their home country and Rotary district.
The program is about much more than travel. Students learn independence, adaptability, communication, cultural respect, and global awareness — the skills that prepare them to lead in a connected world.
Watch Rotary Youth Exchange in action
A short film from Rotary International on how Youth Exchange builds peace — one student, one family, one relationship at a time.
Types of exchanges
Two formats give students flexibility to find the right fit for their goals, schedule, and family.
Long-term exchange
Typically a full academic year abroad. Students attend a local school and usually live with one to three host families over the course of the year — supervised by a local Rotary club in the host country.
- Full academic year abroad (about 10 months)
- Enrolled in a local high school
- One to three host families over the year, all supervised by the host Rotary club
- Camps, district meetings, and trips with other exchange students
- Deepest cultural and language immersion
Short-term exchange
A reciprocal summer exchange of several days to three months — structured as a camp, tour, or family homestay during school breaks. The two students swap households for like periods.
- From several days up to three months
- Hosted by a family abroad with a son or daughter the same age
- Reciprocal: when the student returns, the host family’s child comes back with them and is hosted by the outbound student’s family for a similar length of time
- Often structured as camps, tours, or homestays during summer or winter break
- A great first step toward a future long-term exchange
What it costs
District 5330’s Youth Exchange program fee is a single, all-in figure that covers the largest costs of the year abroad. Here’s exactly what it covers, what Rotary and host families provide at no cost, and what families arrange separately.
Also provided at no cost
Beyond the fee, the biggest day-to-day costs of living abroad are covered through Rotary’s sponsorship and the generosity of host families.
- Room and board with host families
- Any school fees in the host country
- A Rotary counselor and a network of local support
- Inclusion in Rotary club activities, district events, camps, and tours
What families arrange separately
A few items are not part of the program fee — families plan for these on their own.
- Passport
- Apostille of required documents
- Travel insurance — rate varies by host country
- Spending money for personal expenses
- Any optional or additional travel
“Peace happens when people know each other, understand each other, and care about each other.”
A different lens on the world.
Youth Exchange helps students see the world through a different lens. By living with host families and participating in daily life in another country, students develop empathy, confidence, resilience, and respect for different cultures.
For Rotary, Youth Exchange is one of the most personal ways to promote peace. It creates relationships across countries, builds understanding between cultures, and helps young people become leaders who value connection over division.
What students gain
An exchange shapes a student in ways no classroom can. Here’s what they bring home.
One student. One family. One relationship at a time.
Every Youth Exchange creates new bonds across cultures, countries, and communities — the kind of bonds that make peace possible.
Open your home. Share your world.
Change a life.
Host families are at the heart of Rotary Youth Exchange. They welcome students into their homes, include them in daily life, and help them experience the culture of their community in a real and personal way.
Host families don’t need to plan constant entertainment or expensive activities. The most meaningful moments often come from everyday life: family dinners, school events, community traditions, holidays, and simple conversations.
The role of Rotary clubs
Rotary clubs make Youth Exchange possible — supporting students, recruiting host families, providing mentorship, and connecting students to the local community. Clubs interested in sponsoring or hosting should reach out to the District Youth Exchange Officer (YEO) listed above.
- Sponsor outbound students from your community
- Welcome inbound students from around the world
- Recruit and support host families
- Assign a Rotary counselor as liaison for the student, club, host family, and community
- Include students in club meetings and service projects
- Help students build local connections and friendships
- Promote cultural understanding and peace
Who can participate?
Youth Exchange is designed for students ages 15–19 who are open-minded, responsible, flexible, and interested in learning about the world.
- Open-minded and willing to try new things
- Responsible and flexible in unfamiliar situations
- Comfortable representing family, community, and country
- Willing to adapt to a different culture, school, language, and family
- Eager to engage in daily life, not just sightsee
- No need to be fluent in another language before applying — just willing to learn
How to apply
Candidates are ages 15–19 and are leaders in their schools and communities. Start by contacting your local Rotary club — here’s what happens next.
The Rotary Youth Service Pathway
Youth Exchange in the Rotary journey
Youth Exchange gives students a global experience that deepens the leadership, service, and connection they may have already discovered through Interact, RYLA, or other Rotary Youth Service programs.
Many Youth Exchange students go on to join Rotaract in college and Rotary as adults — carrying the connections they built abroad into a lifetime of service.
Get involved
Experience the world
Ready to experience the world in a life-changing way? Rotary Youth Exchange gives students ages 15–19 the opportunity to learn, grow, and become global citizens.
Host a student
Interested in hosting? Host families open their homes and hearts to students from around the world while sharing everyday life, culture, and community.
Apply to host →Support Youth Exchange
Sponsor outbound students, welcome inbound students, recruit host families, and help build international understanding through your club.
Find a Rotary club →Partner with Rotary
Exchange students bring culture, language, and global perspective to local schools and communities — meaningful learning beyond the classroom.
Youth Exchange is more than a trip. It’s a doorway to understanding, friendship, leadership, and a more connected world — peace, one relationship at a time.