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The Youth and Exchange (Y&E) Committee is responsible for all youth exchange and other Rotary exchange activities. The Committee supervises and coordinates the work of all ad hoc committees appointed on particular phases of Rotary youth and exchange activities. including:
- Youth Exchange
- Early Act
- Welshpool Youth Exchange
- Group Study Exchange
- Friendship Exchange
- Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
- Slapshop
- Interact
Long Term Exchange 2009 / 2010
Every year, more than 7,000 young people will have the opportunity of a lifetime - a chance to live in another country and see the world from a new perspective through Rotary Youth Exchange. Rotary Youth Exchange students spend a year living with host families and attending school in a country other than their own. They learn a new way of living, maybe even a new language, and a great deal about themselves. As they learn, they also teach the people they meet about their country, culture, and ideas. They are young ambassadors, helping to bring the world closer together and making some good friends in the process.
Norfolk Sunrise sponsors at least one out bound exchange student and hosts at least one in bound exchange student annually.
In 2009-2010, our outbound exchange student is off to France and our inbound exchange students are from Germany and Australia.
Welshpool Youth Exchange
 
Together with the Rotary Club of Welshpool in Wales, Norfolk Sunrise operates an annual exchange of High School students between Norfolk County and Wales.
In the fall (usually at the time of Pumpkinfesr), we host 6 to 8 high school students from Welshpool and in the following Spring, we sponsor a return exchange visit for 6 to 8 Norfolk High School to Welshpool.
Since the Welshpool Youth Exchange program began more than 100 High School students have crossed the Atlantic to learn more about each other's culture and build lasting Friendships.
Group Study Exchange
The Rotary Foundation's Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.
In 2008-2009, Norfolk Sunrise Rotarian Sue Thompson lead a Group Study Exchange Team of 5 water management professionals from Southern Ontario and Northern New York on a 5 week exchange in Paraguay and Argentina.
Norfolk Sunrise is looking forward to hosting a team from Paraguay and Argentina in 2009-2010
Friendship Exchange
Rotary Friendship Exchange is Rotary's exchange program for Rotarians and their spouses. Friendship Exchanges allow Rotarians the opportunity to experience another culture first hand in the homes of Rotarians in another country. The goal of the program is to advance international understanding, goodwill and peace through person to person contact across national boundaries.
In the past Norfolk Sunrise Rotarians have participated Friendship Exchanges travelling to Brazil and New Zealand and hosting many guest Rotarians from other countries.
I n September 2010, we host, together with the Rotary Club of Simcoe, Rotarians visiting from New Zealand on a Friendship Exchange.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary's leadership training program for young people. RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth, and aims to
- Demonstrate Rotary's respect and concern for youth
- Provide an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders
- Encourage leadership of youth by youth
- Recognize publicly young people who are rendering service to their communities
Norfolk Sunrise normally sponsors one candidate to attend a leadership training week for 19 - 25 year olds.
Slapshot (Student Leadership Award Program for Students High on Training)
SLAPSHOT is designed for 16 to 18 year old High School leaders and promotes honour, celebrates and fosters youth leadership. It is normally a week-end program, starting Friday evening and ending Sunday noon. Norfolk Sunrise sponsors 1 to 2 students from Norfolk High Schools to attend this leadership training weekend.
Early Act
EarlyActTM is a school-wide service club for elementary students from ages 5 to 13. It is sponsored by one of the local Rotary clubs in the township in which the school is located. The mission and operation of EarlyActTM are closely linked to the ideals of Rotary and provide the foundation and natural succession into Interact.
EarlyActTM provides young students the opportunity for gaining an increased awareness and knowledge of their community and the world. At a young age, all students can easily be encouraged to be caring and helpful. Their minds are open to recognize the dignity and worth of each individual which builds respect for others.
EarlyActTM also engages students in character-building activities and prepares them for leadership roles to identify and carry out projects which benefit
their school, local and global communities.
Norfolk Sunrise sponsored and continues to support an EarlyActTM Club at Elgin Public School in the spring of 2008. Since then, the club has undertaken a wide range of service projects locally (e.g.: Environment Day Clean Up) and internationally ("Soccer Balls for Africa, ) members of the Club starred in the Rotary Centennial Afghanistan School Challenge video. They have even hosted their first "Spelling Bee", which proved to be a great success.
A second school has established an EarlyActTM Club under our sponsorship, at Doverwood Elementary School in Port Dover. The members of this club reacted magnificently to the tragic events in Haiti, not only raising $1500 themselves, but also challenging their neighbouring schools to do the same. The result was that collectively they handed over a cheque for $4500 to ourselves, which we managed to double with matching funds form the Canadian government to buy Shelter Boxes for Haiti.
Lessons to be learnt from these future leaders !
Interact
Interact is Rotary International's service club for young people ages 14 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting.
Club membership varies greatly. Clubs can be single gender or mixed, large or small. They can draw from the student body of a single school or from two or more schools in the same community.
Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of
- Developing leadership skills and personal integrity
- Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others
- Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work
- Advancing international understanding and goodwill
As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries and geographical areas, Interact has become a worldwide phenomenon. Almost 200,000 young people are involved in Interact.
Norfolk Sunrise is actively exploring the possibility of sponsoring a Norfolk Interact club.
2010-2011 Youth and Exchange Committee
- Rudi Atkinson - Chair
- Lynn Post
- Keith Jones
- Craig Mustonen
- Jim Peters
- Sarah Kennedy - Reardon
- Kate Stratford
- Louise Schebesch
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