Coronado high school-aged students looking for adventure, cultural experiences, the opportunity to travel, or to learn a new language should attend the Rotary Youth Exchange Information Night in the Multipurpose Room at Coronado High School on Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 6 to 7 pm. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is offered by Rotary Club of Coronado and allows teens to travel to any one of 100 different countries and become fully immersed in the local culture and customs.
The Rotary Youth Exchange program has been available to Coronado high schoolers for more than 20 years. Dozens of CHS Islanders have participated over the two decades, where students visit countries as diverse as Argentina and Australia, Belgium and the Czech Republic, Indonesia and South Korea, or the Philippines and Peru.
According to one former Rotary Youth Exchange participant, “Deciding to become an exchange student was the best choice I’ve ever made in my life. You discover a new country, new landscapes, a new way of life, and you become more open-minded and selfless.” Another student, who traveled to Taiwan notes, “The exchange teaches you so much about not only a foreign country and culture, but also about yourself and the people you love.”
Coronado Rotary’s current President, CHS alumni Dr. Natalie Bailey, attended one of Rotary’s international youth exchange program while she was in in high school. And just this past summer, Dr. Bailey met and spent time with eight different foreign exchange students who traveled to Coronado for a summer exchange program. That group of energetic teenagers, each of whom spoke a different language, even participated in building the Coronado Rotary float for the Fourth of July parade that again won the award for the best float in that procession.
Rotary Youth Exchange builds peace, one young person at a time. Students learn a new language, discover another culture, and truly become global citizens. Exchanges for students ages 15-19 are sponsored by Rotary clubs in more than 100 countries. Long-term exchanges last a full academic year, while students attend local schools and live with multiple host families. Short-term exchanges last from several days to three months and are often structured as camps, tours, or homestays that take place when school is not in session.
Space is limited for the Rotary Youth Exchange Information Night so please RSVP to [email protected] or call 619-435-8334. For more information on the programs, go to youthexchange5340.org. Rotary looks forward to meeting interested students on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6 pm in the Multipurpose Room at CHS.
RELATED (2017):
