Youth Exchange

Rotary Youth Exchange participants.  From left to right, PDG and past Carmel President Salim Najjar; Fernanda Rivas Inbound from Terreon, Mexico, 2010-11;  Alec Bangert, Outbound to LaPaz, Mexico; Morgan Duca Yo-Yo Outbound to Guadalupe, Mexico; Casey Vaughn, Rebound Santiago, Chile;  and club president Judy Hagan.  Casey shared her experience in Chile with the club.

Carmel Rotarians Get Involved
Become a part of the ever-growing number of Rotarians who send thousands of young people each year to new and unusual places for the experience of a lifetime. Exposure to new cultures and ways of life can foster a better understanding between people from different lands. That understanding can be the foundation on which lasting peace and harmony can someday rest.

Youth Exchange Chair: Katie Lawson
Home 317-571-0621

Youth Exchange Counselor: Suzanne O'Shea

Work 317-569-4649

History of Rotary Youth Exchange

Since 1927, students and host families all over the world have had their horizons broadened and their lives enriched by the generosity of Rotary's Youth Exchange program. Administered by Rotary clubs, districts and multi-district groups, the program today involves more than 82 countries and over 8,000 students each year.

The first documented exchanges date back to 1927, when the Rotary Club of Nice, France, initiated exchanges with European students. Exchanges between clubs in California, USA, and Latin American countries began in 1939, and exchange activities spread to the eastern United States in 1958. In 1972, the RI Board of Directors agreed to recommend Youth Exchange to clubs worldwide as a worthwhile international activity that promotes global peace and understanding