Opening Your Heart and Home

Without the willingness and sincerity of families who have opened their hearts and homes to students they have never met, the Rotary Youth Exchange Program would not exist.  In an ever-changing world, it is important that we expose our children, our students and ourselves to areas and people unlike us—it’s how we open our eyes to a global community that shares the same hopes and dreams that we do.

In the landscape of today, adults and children alike must learn about others and reaffirm their faith that people from all over the world are good. What better way to do that than becoming a host family?

Becoming a Host Family

A variety of family structures are perfect for being host families—small, big, with many children, or no children. We aim to reflect real-world families to students, and we know that real families come in all shapes and sizes.

THE EXCHANGE PROCESS IS TRULY MUTUALLY REWARDING

Similarities of cultures should be celebrated and differences should be embraced because there is so much to learn from one another. Each side can act as teachers, leaders, and ambassadors of their cultural background by answering questions, teaching each other, and opening minds to new thoughts and experiences. No matter our age, we are all students of culture and life, which is why becoming a host family is so rewarding.