Rotary Youth Exchange

Youth Exchange

Every year thousands of young people explore new horizons with Rotary Youth Exchange programmes.

District 1260 has run inbound STEP (Short Term Exchange Programme) camps since the COVID lockdown, but our District has no plans to organise a Youth Exchange this Rotary year. If anyone would like to volunteer to co-ordinate an inbound Youth Exchange in 2025, I would be happy to provide more details.

Thousands of people, aged between 15 and 25, take part every year and come home with incredible stories of positive experiences which have given them greater self-confidence, an understanding of other cultures and a new language. Yout Exchanges be short-term or camp-based experiences:

Short Term Exchange Programme (STEP)  

Young people can try this taster experience during the school holidays.  15 to 17-year-olds will be paired up with an exchange partner and stay with each other for around three weeks, learning about one another’s country and way of life.

Camps and Tours  
Across Europe and beyond, Rotary members run camps, some with tours, mainly during the summer holiday, catering for age groups from 15 to 25-year-olds.  Far from being a lonely traveller, you would be with other people your age from across the world so you would experience even more cultures.  An international gathering of students meet up attracted by the theme of the camp, which could be outdoor and sporty or cultural, historical, artistic, or musical.  Most camps last about two weeks, with students mostly living with host families or in hostels. Very few involve living under canvas.  The language of the great majority of the camps is English but from time to time there is one in French, Spanish or German for the more adventurous students. Rotary sponsored two candidates from Whitley Bay to join camps in 2024.