SEEKING HOST FAMILIES FOR 2017-18 INBOUND ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE STUDENT
Dear Rotarians and friends.
I am contacting you all in a serious attempt to source the 2nd, 3rd and 4th host families for Ask Hestbæk our inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Student 2017-18 from Denmark, who arrives in late July.
He will be hosted initially by Brian and Deidre Turvey. Thank you both so much.
Ask Hestbæk is probably our youngest (he will turn 16 in November) exchange student we have hosted in our club for some time, and this will bring a fresh and new experience for us all to appreciate.
Sourcing host families is never an easy task for those who manage the RYE Program in your Club.
We have spoken with both St Joseph’s School and Navigator College, the former with whom we have a great and continuing relationship, and the latter is now showing a real positive interest now that the management at the school has changed.
They have been supportive enough to spread the word for us in their newsletters of the past week
However, at this early stage we have no feedback.
So, I am imploring you all to make consideration of our needs and make sure you put a little time aside to ask your extended families and friends, work colleagues, business or sporting club associates, your grandchildren’s friends or school buddies and their families, if they would like to be host families for our student for 3 months or so during the 12 months Ask is in Port Lincoln.
Please help us put the word out in the community.
The student usually has 4 host families. The approximate hosting periods would be as follows;
These can be flexible and are generally negotiated between the current and following host families in concert with the Inbound Student Counsellor; Greg Jones in this case.
1st - August thru October 2nd - November thru January 3rd - February thru April
4th - May thru July (During which time the student is away for about 3 weeks on a tour in May)
I have attached an abbreviated version of Ask's Application Form for RYE, a D9500 “Host Family Guide” as well as a brochure, entitled “An invitation to become a host family” and an extract from the Rotary Youth Exchange Australia (RYEA)website “ryea.org.au”
All of which you can print off or save and forward to those you think may be accommodating!
The RYEA website gives any amount of information regarding the Rotary Youth Exchange Program and host families.
The host family, including all persons >18yo living at home, will be interviewed by Rotary representatives and will also require a ‘Child Related Employment Screening’ assessment done by Dept. of Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI). The Club instigates the application, then the applicant completes it on-line.
However, the Rotary Club will pay the individual application fees.
Back to the Hosting….
Please support your club’s 51 years of continuous participation in this incredibly valuable Rotary Program by making a big effort to get the word around your own extended family, friends and associates and let them know just how remarkable the program is and encourage them to participate as a host family.
Thanking you all, in anticipation of some positive outcomes.
Regards,
David Johnston RCPL - YEO
