Campbell River Daybreak RotaryYouth Exchange

Background: The Exchange Time Line• Jan-Feb – student selection - country

assignment - passports and orientation

• March – receive visa packets – compile documents

• April 15, 2010 return completed documents and signed visa packet to marlin travel.

• April-May-June - verification of documentation host guarantee confirmation & processing visa applications with consulates

• June-Sept – visa approval; issue tickets & departure to your assigned country

Our Primary Responsibility

Create a circle of safety and support for the

students, both inbound and outbound.

Expectations for Students as Ambassadors

• Students represent:–Country–State or Province–Community–Family- Rotary – especially Rotary Youth

Exchange

• Everything and everyone you represent will be judged by:

– Your appearance– Your behavior (public and private)– What you say and how you say it

What does this require from a student?

• A student should be knowledgeable about her / his …– language– culture– history and – geography

What is the Club Responsibility?

• Club members should– Invite students to actively participate in Rotary

meetings– Provide an opportunity for a program on the student

country – Create opportunities to be involved in projects and

activities– Invite students to speak regularly to keep club

informed of student experiences – Encourage every club member to make connections

with and be involved with the student– Support the club by volunteering as a ‘host family’ or

by inviting students to participate in family activities

Rotary Students at School: Expectations

• Do the school work and participate in class projects and discussion

• Be an ambassador for Rotary, for your country, your family and for yourself

• Don’t let absences give the school the wrong impression

• This year is not a vacation

Rotary and the Student

• Each Rotary District is autonomous

• Host district rules take precedence

• Be familiar with the rules of your host district

Culture Shock: Things to Remember

• Culture shock is the unavoidableperiod of psychological adjustmentwhen you move from a familiarenvironment to an unfamiliar one

In a new culture .. remember …

• You don’t know most of the rules

• Everyone around you knows all the rules

• You don’t know what to expect of others

• Others expect unknown things of you

STAGES OF YOUTH EXCHANGE

“Through the Eyes of a Student”

Stage 1: The Honeymoon (2-8 weeks):

• Differences are fascinating, not threatening

• Experiences are heightened and intensified

• You are insulated by your own culture and you feel in control

Stage 2: Disintegration (2-3 months)

• Also known as the “Holy $#@& (insertfavorite expletive)! What the &%#! (insert another favorite expletive here) have I done!!! phase

Stage 3: Reintegration (Generally 3-6 months)

• You find yourself being more assertive

• You may reject some of the things you don’t like about your host country

• Your relationships are with real people, not with superficial images

• If not on the clue bus, you know where the clue bus stop is

Stage Four: Becoming Functional

• You begin to work through things consciously

• A strong, positive emotional state emerges

• You know that you will not only survive, but the best is yet to come!

Stage Five: Creative Independence(begins around 9 months)

• Success become the norm

• You are able to create meaning in most normal situations

• You are pretty good at figuring out novel situations

• You are not only on the clue bus – you could drive it if you had to

Question

Why a Youth Exchange Program for Daybreak Rotary?

Daybreak Rotary and Youth Exchange

During our last visioning retreat the club agreed….• Youth programs are a vital part of Campbell River

Daybreak Rotary initiatives• We have a commitment to and responsibility for

supporting our ‘inbound’ students• Each Club member should make an effort to make

the student feel welcome and included• We are very proud of the longstanding relationship

we have developed with youth programs through Youth Exchange, Student of the Month, Interact, RYlA, Adventures In, Scholarship Program ….

In the words of a student: “Judit”

• felt welcomed by all –loved waking up on Tuesday mornings -- was so much fun to be there and included at Rotary meetings

• felt English response time in English has improved! • found school quite different despite expectations• wished she’d joined a school club or town activity –maybe dance!• Loved being included in activities – Duck Sales, Chemainus

theatre• Interact: wonderful to see what students can accomplish in

Canada -- huge support of Rotary for Interact• liked the greeting dinner with all host families present• moving means packing and ‘changing’ but this is offset by the

excitement of each new homestay ~ wonderful people who made her a part of their families• Reminded us each exchange student will be different –it’s

important to recognize what makes each student unique and independent

Question

Who has been impacted by the Campbell River Daybreak Rotary Youth Exchange Program?

Inbound Daybreak Rotary Students

Year Student: Home country:• 1989-90 Emma Tinsley New

Zealand• 1990-91 Laila Race New Caledonia• 1991-92 Melissa PerrimanAustralia• 1992-93 Lauren Fernandez Brazil• 1993-94 Harald Dulait Belgium• 1993-94 Kochin Wada Japan• 1994-95 Tessa Winkel Germany• 1995-56 Alejandro Sanchez

Argentina• 1996-97 Ferron Moll Spain• 1997-98 Helen Soderlund Sweden• 1998-99 Stephan Eckle Germany

Inbound Daybreak Rotary Students

Year Student: Home country:• 1999-00 Vanessa Venturini Venezuela• 2000-01 Emily Mancini Australia• 2000-01 Steffan Gruninger Germany• 2001-02 Carol Dehon Belgium• 2002-03 Maria Eugenia Arellano Venezuela• 2003-04 Linn Sterner Sweden• 2004-05 Helene Monnier France• 2005-06 Martin Podmanicky Slovakia• 2006-07 Nicolai Svanefjord Denmark• 2007-08 Ilya Prokopovich Russia• 2008-09 Judit Kiss Hungary• 2009-10 Sara Chen Taiwan

Outbound Daybreak Rotary Students

Year Student: Home country:• 1989-90 Debra Krastel Germany • 1990-91 Sheila Stafford New Zealand • 1991-92 Steven Voisey Mexico • 1992-93 Natasha Wasyliw Brazil• 1993-94 Angus Halliday New Zealand • 1994-95 Leon Mack Germany • 1995-96 Jennifer Waller Chile • 1996-97 Dylan JonesFrance• 1997-98 Damien Gillis Thailand • 1998-99 Sarah Emmons Finland  • 1998-99 Amanda Pezzutto Hungary• 1999-00 Krista Houston Spain  

Outbound Daybreak Rotary StudentsYear Student: Home

country:• 1999-00 Christine Emmons Ecuador • 2000-01 Kit Mellett Sweden  • 2000-01 Robin Havelaar Finland • 2001-02 Kristiana Bruneau Thailand  • 2001-02 Eric Brown Denmark• 2002-03 Travis Bortolotto Australia  • 2002-03 Graham Lovely Finland • 2003-04 Madeleine "Maddy" Elson Belgium  • 2004-05 Laura Marshall Belgium • 2005-06 Cathleen Leduc Switzerland  • 2006-07 Laura Lengyel Italy • 2007-08    Megan Brown Belgium• 2008-09 Paige McGowan France     

In Summary… by the numbers

• During the past 21 years, C.R. Daybreak Rotary has sponsored …

23 inbound students

from 17 different countries

25 outbound students from 18 different countries

Next year that number will total 50 !

Question

How are students impacted by the Campbell River Daybreak Rotary Youth Exchange Program?

Impact of Student Exchange

• Students feel welcomed and included at our meetings• Life transforming experience for many outbound and

inbound students• Life long connections between many Inbound students

and our families ~ some have returned to C.R. several times ~ many of our families have visited students in their home countries

• Students have a great opportunity to belong to Interact and understand the spirit of “service above self”

• Knowledge of Canadian culture and the English language increase significantly

Question

What challenges do we face in sustaining the Campbell River Daybreak Rotary Youth Exchange Program?

Challenges Facing Student Exchange

• Adapting to each individual student ~ and having them adapt to us (cultural differences!)

• Drawing involvement from the ‘whole’ club in supporting each student

• Adjusting to the changing world of adolescents today – what boundaries should be established … what freedoms should be allowed?

• Seeking the balance between community life and travel• Encouraging language development when social

networks connect students to their home country readily• Finding new homestay families who will share their

home and time with inbound students

Question

Are we as a club ready to ….

~welcome our next student from Ecuador?

~provide quality home stays?

~to include her as a valued member of our Daybreak Rotary Club?

~to create a lifetime of memories and experiences?

Question

Who will support Club efforts to host a Student Exchange Program?

• Youth Exchange Committee Ron Fisher Barry Watchhorn Susanne Grundison Tony Fantillo Erica Chan-LaFrance Don Huestis Bill Ritchie Craig Gillis• Homestay families • Each club member

ThankYou!

Sara’s parents “Thank You”