Rotary Youth Exchange

 
Do you know a young person between the ages of 16 - 18 who would love to go overseas.   
This is what the Rotary Youth Exchange programme can offer our young people.   They leave NZ in January for 12 months and live with 3 or 4 host families where they become immersed in the local language, culture, school and general life.  It is life changing.  It is special.  It creates lifetime memories.
 
 
 
Get on the phone to your young person and ask them the question…. “How would you like to live in Europe for a year?”....
Then, if they’re keen, talk to your Rotary Club President to get support to sponsor them and Mandi Bates our District RYE Outbound Coordinator for an application form -
or visit our website. sponsoring an Outbound Student doesn’t cost the club much - pay for some meals when they come to address your club and gift them some much needed trinket badges, and provide a home mentor of the same sex.  
Sounds easy? - well it is.  The hard part is picking up the phone to talk to your young person.  
 
We have just all come back from a wonderful District Conference in New Plymouth.  We had a full contingent of ten young ladies - six international students and four NZ students that returned from overseas in January. They spoke to the conference of their experiences, thanked the keynote speakers and presented them with a gift.  They certainly made their presence felt over the weekend (especially their energetic dancing on Saturday night) and I know that they added another dimension to the conference with their jingling badge-laden jackets not far from anyone.  
 
Thanks to District Governor Martin Garcia and Conference Chair Pat Waite and his team (especially Peter Lockery who helped the students with their thank-you speeches) for an interesting and well organised conference.  The highlight for the students was the speech from Brian Bourke who contracted polio as a child.  The students lead the standing ovation for this inspiring man which shows how much he held their attention - no mean feat for teenagers!  He had such an impact on them that they will be raising funds to ‘End Polio Now’ at the farewell weekend coming up in June.  He also had such strong messages of persistence, patience, humility and empathy - all wrapped up in a very light hearted and humorous speech.
Afterwards I kept thinking that Brian had made such an impact on the students that I hoped our NZ students now overseas, would have an opportunity to hear someone of such mana on their travels.  
Please, it is up to you to provide the link to give this opportunity to NZ students.  The deadline for the Outbound Students closes in a couple of weeks for the 2018 January group.   
Lynne Phillips
Chairperson
RYE District 9940 Committee
 
Phone: 06.3579111
Mobile: 0274.793138