Why in the world would you want to host some kid from some other country who you do not know? Invite them into your home, make them part of your family? Let them have free roam of your home, give them a key, include them in family events?

• Hosting a student is possibly one of the most interesting and rewarding experiences you and your family can have with far less effort than you might expect.
• All RYE students are interviewed and go through a year long process to ensure they are the right student for the program. They are not just some kid-they are Rotary Youth Exchange Students.
• Each student brings with them an array of questions to help them better fit within your family structure. They are given skills by the Rotary organization to help them better acclimate and adjust to their new environment. Likewise, host family training is provided and host families have numerous contacts within Rotary to assist in situations from homesickness to cultural differences. No one is left to fend for themselves.
• The local Rotary club will ensure the student is enrolled at a local area school and they provide a monthly stipend for the student. As a host family, you are expected to provide a warm, nurturing environment for the student, meals and a place to sleep. Clothes, gifts, movie tickets, ski passes and similar items are the responsibility of the student. Sure, a host family may offer to assist or outright pay for such items but it is not required.
• An exchange student will live in your home for 3-4 months typically. They will bring a variety of new ideas and views of the world to you and your family. They will probably offer to cook a meal from their country for you to sample what they eat daily. The will observe and learn from you what it means to be an American family. They will ask about differences and compare cultures with you. Together you will each find yourselves learning things about a foreign land that you don't get on the average 14 day visit!
• Students and host families are reminded of the differences in culture yet they discover the similarities. One is not superior to the other, just different in varying ways. Additionally, neither students nor host families are accepted who are unable to realize there are differences or insist on imposing their will upon others-be it religious preferences, political ideologies or governmental systems.
• All host families must go through a background check process and a brief interview. This is not only in compliance with various regulations and certifications, but it also helps ensure families and students can focus on the experience rather than questioning their safety and security.
• If you are interested in becoming a host family, contact your local Rotary club, or email Gretchen @ Rye5450.org, the inbound student chair. We are excited to have you become part of this program.