Eastern States Student Exchange (ESSEX) Rotary

ESSEX – ROTARY (Eastern States Student Exchange) serves all or part of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia. It is the ESSEX philosophy that greater personal and cultural understanding and tolerance of others develops through personal interaction. ESSEX offers a high school academic year-long exchange program for international youth. We believe that a full-year program is needed to accomplish these goals, especially mastery of a foreign language.

The 32 Rotary districts and 1800 Rotary Clubs served by ESSEX coordinate with Rotary International, through a network of 34,000 local Rotary clubs worldwide, sponsors, supervises, and provides financial support to international students. Each participating club commits to host a student through application, screening, orientation, and providing guidance to 2-3 host families. In addition to hosting, the club commits to involving the students in club activities and providing approximately $100 spending money per month. Since the club is local, its volunteer members can provide close support and guidance, interact with local school officials, and create timely reporting on the student experience and progress through a Rotary District Youth Exchange Committee, which oversees 40-70 clubs. In addition, ESSEX has a system of Country Contacts who are in frequent contact with their counterparts abroad and have expedient access to help in solving any problem which may develop.

Academic Year: ESSEX hosts 15-18.5 year old high school students interested in a 10-12 month program to understand our culture. Students secure an application requiring autobiographical data, medical records, and academic records from the local Rotary club or district in their home countries. They and their parents are then interviewed. Once accepted, the student receives: 1) orientation, counseling, and training; and 2) Upon arrival in the USA, a pre-arranged receiving Rotary Club greets students at the airport and introduces them to the first host family. While on the exchange, there are usually two or three host families giving a close personal contact and further interaction with numerous others. Students are registered in school where they must attend regularly and make reasonable academic progress.

Periodically, there may be gatherings with other exchange students from many different countries in the district, thus providing a greater international perspective. In many districts, there are opportunities to take extended tours to other parts of the country, at the student’s own additional expense.

Overseeing the experience, the local sponsoring Rotary Club provides approximately $100 spending money per month, and invites students to their meetings where they meet local professional businessmen and women. The club has a specific Rotarian assigned to provide counsel and action in any difficulty with the family, school, or fellow students.

In summary, while learning the language, students associate with a wide mix of students and professional adults during their study in our country while developing life-long friends. They are expected to provide service to their host community through Rotary club efforts and/or projects of their own selection.

Cost: The student’s natural family must provide the cost for:

1. airfare and any travel agency fees
2. foreign travel and medical insurances through ESSEX;
3. passport, visa, and security fees;
4. a $300-500 emergency fund which is returned if not needed: and
5. appropriate clothing.

The ESSEX program is a genuine exchange program and sends and receives students internationally. The inbound students interact regularly with other Rotary program participants to provide a well-rounded international experience. “A complete listing of all districts in ESSEX can be found at www.exchangestudent.org.