THE Ojai Rotary-West exchange program guide

The Rotary Clubs of Southern California, Arizona and Nevada (SCANEX) encourage and enable our young people to travel to other nations--and provide a way for foreign students to come here, to meet and learn about us.

As the Chairperson of our club's Youth Exchange Committee for several years, I have found it frustrating to find local homes for these students. I am taking this opportunity to let you know this program is available to children of Rotarians as well as non-Rotarians, and also to ask your help in providing housing for future exchange students.

Please spread the news that these programs exist. Post notices at churches, clubs, meetings, and schools to let young people know this resource is available to them.

Although I feel most families would benefit from the exchange student experience, if your family cannot help with a student, you might know ones who can.

A student travels to another country for about 3 weeks in the summer. The student will stay with the family of a fellow exchange student from that country. After three weeks, the student returns to their home in America, along with the foreign exchange student, who stays with the American family for three weeks.

The summer program is simple. All housing requirements are met by the families of the students.

An American high school student lives and studies in another country for approximately one year.

Sometimes the year long program gives us problems. When we send a student to another country, that country typically expects us to accept one of theirs for the same duration. Naturally, we must find housing for them.

Usually, the family of the student we are sending provides it. And often, they have friends who want to take part as well. We usually need volunteers to provide a 3-4 family exchange.

My wife and I and our children have been involved in such adventures. Twice, we provided housing for the entire year. But more typically we look for a stay of around 2-3 months with one particular family. This gives guests plenty of time to get to know a family, but also allows exposure to different families, who might be quite different in their lifestyle, beliefs, etc.

Your visitor should be treated as a family member, not an honored guest. As family, they should help with that same household chores your own children might be expected to perform. And they must adhere to the rules of the home.

Your visiting student does not need a separate room, although that would be nice. Sharing a room with a family child is the most common arrangement.

Although the students expect some adventures (Disneyland, Magic Mountain, etc) it is not your job to entertain them. If such a trip fits into your plans, by all means do so.

You are not expected to be the transportation service for them, any more than you would for your own children. Your visitors will want to take part in as much of what is happening as is possible. But we do not expect the host families to go way out of their way to provide opportunities. If your children aren't already involved with whatever event is "happening", visiting youngsters can make the most of their experience here by coordinating with other families in the program.

Of course, if you want to take part and really broaden their experiences, feel free!

You can participate even If you no longer have children at home, so long as you are willing and able to provide a room and meals--or at least the kitchen for the student to fix some of their own meals. I remember the year Nuria (a young lady from Spain) stayed with my wife and I, neither of my children were present. That was the same year my daughter spent in Spain. Also, it is not a problem if your children are not of the same sex as the exchange student, as long as a separate bedroom is available.

I am required to make home visits to determine if the home environment would be suitable for an exchange student. I am also required to do the same for any family interested in providing housing for students, even if they are not sending a student on one of our programs.

This is an exciting and valuable program for young people. Most of the students that have stayed with my family have maintained contact with us afterward. It is interesting not only to learn about them and their countries during their stay, but also to keep in touch with them later and find out how they are doing.

This program is designed to enrich the lives of our young people and those of our guests. Inevitably, it will enrich yours as well. Sometimes that happens in unpredictable ways. In the early summer of 2002 my family traveled to Spain to attend Nuria’s wedding. We were treated as honored guests.

Sound interesting? I will need to have your application by the end of November.

If you:

Have children who might be interested
Know people who might have children interested,
Can share your home, or
Know others who might share their home,

Then please contact me.

I'll be happy to explain these exchange programs in greater detail.