North Star Rotary Youth Exchange

District 5950/5960 Rotary Youth Exchange Foundation, a part of Rotary International, is a service organization that encourages and facilitates a youth exchange with Rotary Districts in approximately 30 countries throughout the world. Long term exchanges are with students between the ages of 15 and 19 at the time of arrival in the hosting country (cannot have turned 19 before the beginning of the exchange). The District 5950/5960 Youth Exchange area includes most of the southern half of Minnesota and a section of northwestern Wisconsin.

North Star also offers Short Term Exchange opportunities which usually take place over the summer months. Family-to-Family exchanges are available for students ages 15-17 and involve matching a US student with a student from another country. The students spend 3-6 weeks together living in each other’s homes. Camps/Tours involve a structured experience where students between the ages of 16-25 participate in a camp/tour planned by local Rotarians in the host country.”

The chairperson of the Youth Exchange Program is appointed to a two-year term by a committee that includes the district governors and district governors-elect from Rotary Districts 5950 and 5960. The Youth Exchange Committee consists of one part-time paid executive assistant and approximately 150 volunteer Rotarians facilitating the various activities of the program. Additionally, the program is supported by the participation of approximately 30 Rotex (former Rotary exchange students) who assist with the selection and orientation processes. Rotary District 5950/5960 Youth Exchange Foundation is in compliance with the model program guide provided by Rotary International. It was founded in 1969 as a Not-for-Profit organization.