YOUTH PROGRAMS

Rotary Clubs have been very active in projects involving youth. Youth Exchange is an outstanding educational program. High school students, seventeen years of age, are sponsored by a Rotary Club to attend school for a year in a foreign country. Arrangements are made for a club in the receiving country to host the student. During his or her stay the student lives with a family, or families, preferably but not necessarily Rotary families. The host club arranges enrolment in school. The parents of the student are responsible for travel costs and the host club for living arrangements and for a regular allowance for the student. Victoria has participated enthusiastically and consistently in this program, both as sponsor and as host for the past twenty years.

There is also a "short exchange" in which arrangements are made for two students in different countries to exchange. One visits the other for one month and then the host becomes the guest returning home with the visitor for a month.

RYLA, or Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, is still another Youth program. This is a district program for 18 to 25 year olds. Some of the participants are already in the work force and may be selected by their employer because they exhibit leadership potential. Others may be still in school. Individual clubs may sponsor candidates to participate in this June program. It is held under outstanding educational leadership and is of a week's duration.

Rotary clubs sponsor groups of young people known as INTERACT CLUBS and ROTARACT CLUBS.

INTERACT clubs are made up of students between the ages of 14 and 18 who are studying at the high school level. Members of ROTARACT clubs are between the ages of 18 and 28 who may be students or may be employed. The stated goals of both organizations parallel those in the object of Rotary, with emphasis on personal integrity and understanding of others. These clubs do not exist in Victoria at the present time.

Coming Soon