Becoming a Host Family
The success of the Rotary Youth Exchange program depends completely on families who are willing to open their hearts and their homes to become a family for the student who arrives from another country. Rotary works hard to try to secure three families for each student. This plan allows the students to enjoy meeting more people and experiencing different lifestyles and personalities. It also ends up being a shorter commitment time for each family. We have found that teaming the families up as a co-parenting group has really helped the student have an extraordinary year, and provides some flexibility for the unexpected things that happen. The responsibilities of a host family include helping the student successfully manage school, follow the Rotary rules, the rules in your family, and house and feed them, and include them as a valued member of the family. There will be a lot of great memories for the host family, and the student, by the end of the year. Your family is sure to learn about a country, culture, and traditions, and gain more direct knowledge, that you might not otherwise have had the opportunity to know. And in turn, you have the opportunity to give the student you are hosting a similar experience with information and knowledge about our country and state, and an American lifestyle, culture, and family traditions, that the student likewise would not have had the opportunity to know. The rewards and benefits of hosting are great and many. Life with a teenager can be wonderful and rewarding. Rotary provides a youth exchange program because world peace happens one person at a time. You can be part of that plan. Get to know someone new. Volunteer to host an exchange student. Make a new life-long friend.