The Rotary Youth Exchange Committee coordinates international exchange experiences for high school students as part of a coordinated Rotary Youth Exchange program internationally. Arriving students (“inbounds”) are hosted by selected families; while our selected students (“outbounds”) spend their entire junior year immersed in another country and language (and are hosted by selected families in that country and school District).  This may sound like a small effort and impact, but Youth Exchange affects many lives and has been a part of the RCSJ for 30 years.

The “small effort” each year changes the life of a few high school students, forever.     More importantly, the “ripple effect” world-wide is extraordinary.  Our inbounds and outbounds share the experience with scores of District and RI supported “inbounds” and “outbounds”.  In this way they form a bond, through experience, that often lasts a lifetime.  These bonds extend to host families too.   Oftentimes, the host family becomes a lifelong part of the “inbound”, “outbound” and even the family of those inbounds and outbounds. 

What the committee does: 

Our job is to:

1.  manage our “outbounds”:   do outreach and interviews to identify 2 or 3 juniors who can act as ambassadors for our Club and our County for their Junior year in High School. 
2. manage our “inbounds” Monitor our “inbound” from another country as he/she immerses in his/her junior year in a San Jose Unified High School
3. interface with our Rotary District to find other Rotary Clubs to “adopter” our 2nd and 3rd choice as a result of our interview process.
4. manage and vetting of host families