16 year old Turkish girl will attend New Trier High School

For over 75 years, students and host families have broadened their horizons through Rotary Youth Exchange.  More than 80 countries and over 8,000 students each year participate in this well respected program, which is administered by Rotary districts and local Rotary clubs.

This August, the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield welcomes a 16 year old girl from Marmaris, Turkey, a port town and tourist resort on the Mediterranean coast, located in southwest Turkey, along the shoreline of the Turkish Riviera.  This student has studied English for 7 years, and also studies German and Finnish. She comes from a family of four; her father is a retail manager, her mother a booking supervisor at a hotel, and she has an 11 year old sister.  She is an excellent student and comes with high recommendations from her teachers.  Her interests include listening to music, reading books, swimming and participating in school sports.  She enjoys foreign languages and aspires to be a professional interpreter.
   
Her exchange year will run from mid-August 2012 to mid-July 2013.  The Rotary program provides a well-diversified experience by splitting the year among three host families.  The commitment for each host family is typically 3-4 months.  She will attend New Trier High School, who assigns special guidance counselors to assist its exchange students.  There is also a well-organized local network of Rotarians dedicated to assuring a positive experience for the student, host families, school and Rotary. 

This Rotary Youth Exchange Student will be one of twenty hosted by Rotary Clubs in northeast Illinois.  Over the course of the year, Rotary organizes activities for these students, providing opportunities for them to form life-long friendships with contemporaries from around the globe.

Rotary encourages host families to welcome students into their homes, not as a guest, but as a member of their family.  Rules and expectations in place for their own children should also apply to youth exchange students.  Rotary rules are made clear to all inbound students, and are strictly enforced: no drinking, no drugs, no driving, no dating.  Breaches of these rules are grounds for an immediate trip back home.  Host families provide students room and board, and the Rotary Club provides a monthly spending allowance that is often supplemented the student’s parents.

Host families must reside in New Trier High School District.  Interested families may have similarly aged children, younger or older children or may be empty nesters.  

To learn more about being a host family, contact the club at info@wnrotary.org or call 847-902-9133. 


Click here for a brochure about Rotary Youth Exchange, and learn more at our District's RYE website.

Detailed information about being a host family can be found by clicking here.