What is Rotary Youth Exchange?

Rotary Youth Exchange is for high school-aged students interested in living and studying in a foreign country for one year. Its goal is to promote international understanding, goodwill, and peace at the person-to-person level.

Rotary's Youth Exchange program is recognized worldwide as the gold standard in international exchange opportunities for young adults.

Each year, Rotary clubs sponsor outbound students from our local community and accept one inbound student from over twenty different countries around the world. 

Watch this 10-minute video, which provides a good introduction to what it is like to be a Rotary Youth Exchange Student.

Clicking the image will open the YouTube video in a new tab.

Quick Overview…

It is not a vacation. Instead, it’s a cultural and academic exchange that lasts a full school year (11-12 months). During the exchange, you will have the opportunity to learn the language and culture of your host country.

While in your host country you will attend school, be hosted by 2 to 4 host families and be supported by the local Rotary club and a Rotarian counselor.  You will also maintain regular contact with your Rotarian counselor in the Olympia area. 

Eligibility:

You must be at least 16 by September 30 and cannot have turned 18 before September 30 in the year you leave on exchange.  Additionally, you cannot have graduated from high school. To qualify, applicants should be above-average students who have demonstrated leadership in their community. Candidates should also possess flexibility and a willingness to try new things that will enable them to fully experience life in another country and become excellent cultural ambassadors.

The Process & How to Apply:

In June and September, in-person informational sessions will be held in Olympia for interested students and parents.  Rotarians will conduct these in-person sessions, allowing you to learn about the program and have your questions answered.  Details on these events' dates, times, and locations will be posted here as the information becomes available.  Please bookmark this page so you can check it later.

There is an application process. Formal applications are due no later than September 30, 2025, for exchanges starting in August 2026 and running through July 2027.  A link to the application will be posted here at a later date.

In early October 2025, in-person interviews will be conducted with all students who have completed their applications.  Soon after these interviews, you will be notified whether you have been selected to be an exchange student.  If selected, there are more steps to completing the application, and then in early December, there will be another in-person interview by the District 5020 Youth Exchange Committee.  After this interview, your exchange will be confirmed.  Exchanges will commence in August 2026.

If you would like to receive an email from us as more information becomes available, please email us at rotarycapitalcentennial@gmail.com, and we will add you to our mailing list.

Where Can I Go?

We exchange with over 40 Rotary districts in over 25 countries*, including:

*Each year, the countries differ, but the countries listed above are countries we frequently exchange with.

When you apply, please let me know which countries interest you the most, and we will try to place you in one. Unfortunately, due to the nature of our program, we cannot guarantee that you will be placed in a specific country.

How Much Does It Cost?

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, food, and a modest monthly allowance (generally around $100 / month) worth up to $24,000. Typically, students and their parents or guardians are expected to cover an estimated $7,000-$10,000 in 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

If you are interested in being a Rotary Exchange student, we do not want the cost to be a barrier.  We always strive to select the best, most qualified candidate.  If that is you and the costs are prohibitive, we will do our best to provide financial assistance.  We encourage all interested students to apply.

Why Rotary?

Rotary Youth Exchange became an official pillar of Rotary International in 1972. The program is unique in that it is NOT a business. Rotarians are volunteers in your community who believe in the program’s mission to bring about world peace through personal relationships developed by the students we send abroad and the foreign students we host in our community.

Rotary maintains the highest standards of safety for our exchange students.  A student’s well-being is managed by a large team of Rotarians, including the host club in the Olympia area, the Rotary District 5020 country counselor, the Rotary district in the receiving country, the host Rotary club in the foreign country, and the student’s counselor from the host Rotary club.

With Rotary, you are not on your own.  As a Rotary Exchange Student, you are one of 20 to 40 students Rotary District 5020 (Vancouver Island, the Olympic Peninsula, and parts of Western Washington) sponsors each year.  You will meet all these other students at a multi-day orientation program before your departure and at a post-exchange reorientation program—meeting and making friends with others who are going through the same experience as you is invaluable.

Likewise, in your destination country, there will be many other Rotary exchange students worldwide in your Rotary district.  Throughout the year abroad, the Rotary district sponsors activities and trips for all the Rotary Exchange Students in the district.  Past exchange students often mention these experiences as highlights of their year abroad.  You will undoubtedly make lifelong friends from all over the world.  

Key reasons to consider Rotary include:

• Orientation & training process before you leave.
• Hosted by a Rotary Club and Host Families.
• Activities and trips with Rotary, Rotarians, and fellow exchange students.
• Flights, medical insurance, visas, well-vetted host families, school admission, and much more are all arranged by Rotary.
• Low cost. Rotarians are all volunteers, donating their time to keep costs down.
• Rebound Retreat upon return from your year abroad with all other returning exchange students in District 5020.

Contact Us

To learn more, please contact our Youth Chair, Scott Beckwith, at  beckwithsc@comcast.net.