Incredible, life-changing, self-discovery, amazing: these are words Rotary Youth Exchange students have used to describe their experience. Rotary Club 29 has hosted many exchange students in the past. This year we’re excited to welcome Malo LeChevalier from France. Malo needs a host family for the months of December, January and February. Please contact Nathaniel Harding at nharding@hardingshelton.com if you can host Malo. And a big thanks to President Tim Strange and Lauren Branch for hosting Malo during the other months he is here.
The host family is a critical element in any cultural exchange program for youth, providing a first-hand opportunity to experience a new culture and to help others to better understand the culture that they represent. The Rotary program is distinct from other exchange programs because it is operated completely by volunteers around the world. Each student participant and each host family is carefully selected and actively supported by Rotary volunteers within their own community. Host families are in close contact with volunteers from a local Rotary club and Rotary district who will guide and assist them throughout their experience.
Hosting a student can be an extremely rewarding experience for everyone in a family, but of course, there are responsibilities. Most are natural since they are what a family would expect to do for one of its own children. For more details regarding the rewards and responsibilities of being a host family in this program, as well as general information about the program, please go to: http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/749en.pdf.
So if you would like to enable an incredible, life-changing experience for an exchange student, please consider hosting Malo this December through February. Email nharding@hardingshelton.com if you’re interested.