Host Families

	Would You Like to Host a Student?	First Host Family
	Contacting Rotary in District 5080	Middle Host Families
	Suggestions for Host Families	Last Host Families
	Travel Guidelines and Policies	Student Obligations
	Rules of Conduct for Students	Student Expenses
	Understanding Culture Shock	Rules of Behavior
	What is Rotary?	Insurance
	*Travel Guidelines & Policies*

ROTARY'S HOST FAMILIES

Rotary's Host families run the full spectrum of possibilities.

l Any caring and responsible family with an interest in hosting a young person from another land can be a tremendous host family! The best host families are really just normal families and they don’t fall into any one, easy-to-define category.

l Families do not need to be affiliated with Rotary to host Rotary Exchange Students.

l Families with small children make great host families because young children get the experience of having a big brother or sister and the exchange students often enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of practicing their language skills with a younger child.

l “Empty Nesters” or retired couples are good too because they can have more time to spend with their student than younger parents do and they often enjoy having a young person around the house.

l Families with high school age children are good because host brothers and sisters can quickly get the student involved in school and community activities.

A student from South America goes fishing with her host family

ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE:

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Building Bridges Between Cultures

The step-by-step process

Rotary differs from many international exchange programs in that our students generally live with three or more families during their exchange year. This gives the student a more well-rounded experience in a culture, having experienced family life from at least three different perspectives. It is also less of a commitment for host families; the typical length of stay is about three to four months instead of a full year.

Would you like more information about being a host family in Rotary District 5080?

Send us an email and we will tell you who to contact in your area.

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR HOST FAMILIES IN DISTRICT 5080
·	If possible, write to the student and send along some family pictures before the student arrives.
·	Review the Emergency Contact Information form with your student and help, if necessary fill it out.
·	Try not to have expectations as to what the student will be like but do review the application.
·	Go through District 5080's First Night Questionnaire with your exchange student as soon as you can after he or she arrives in your family. This is important! Lots of misunderstandings can be prevented by frankly talking about the many day-to-day issues that are covered in the questionnaire
·	Students need to be part of the family, and should be asked to help out around the house, as you would with your own children. Resist treating your exchange student as a "special guest"!
·	Spend time talking to the student, and get to know him/her.
·	Try to get a basic understanding of culture shock, especially if you are the first host family.
·	Don't compare the student to your own children or to previous exchange students - they are all individuals, and are not the same.
·	Allow the student - and yourself - some private time.
·	Encourage the student to attend his/her own church.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FIRST HOST FAMILIES
·	It is especially important that the first host family write to the student and make him or her feel welcome. A few letters will make the student feel that he/she knows your family, and will make the adjustment on arrival easier for both parties.
·	Try to be understanding of the difficult cultural adjustment your exchange student may be experiencing. All students will go through a process of emotional ups and downs. Student's may feel exhausted at the end of each day, after trying to digest a new and confusing culture and a strange language. Allow students to have time by themselves but do not allow them to get overly withdrawn.
·	Help them with language, make them feel welcome, and encourage them to get involved with groups in school or community.
·	Establish firm guidelines for behavior, and make sure the student meets the community and gets off to a good start. The student's Rotary counselor will help you with this process.
·	The first host family or the counselor must go to the school with the student to arrange a course schedule for the coming year.
·	The first host family is encouraged to invite the other 3 host families, the student's Rotary counselor, and the Club's Youth Exchange Officer, over to visit with the student after supper one evening in the first week or 10 days after arrival. In some cases this will be done by the student's Rotary counselor.
SUGGESTIONS FOR MIDDLE HOST FAMILIES
·	Get to know the student before he or she joins your family. Talk to the student's Rotary counselor and previous host family, and find out if there were any problems that had to be dealt with. Remember that previous families may have become very attached to the student - and vice versa. Encourage some continuing contact between the student and those families.
·	Culture shock should be much less of a problem by the time a student moves to the second family, but all students are different, and it is normal to expect some feelings of "homesickness" through a student's exchange
SUGGESTIONS FOR LAST HOST FAMILIES
·	When the student comes to the last host family, he/she will speak English fairly fluently, be established in the community - and hopefully be doing all the right things.
·	In the last month or so the student will receive many invitations from previous host families and friends. The last host family must be understanding, but should counsel the student not to run him/herself ragged trying to accept all invitations.
·	Encourage the student to send some belongings home by mail (by surface is much cheaper than by air - but takes longer).
·	The last host family can hold an open house or similar gathering of all the host families, counsellor, and Club Youth Exchange Chairman just prior to the student's departure. An elaborate party is not necessary - you should talk to your student's Rotary counsellor about your plans.
·	Keep in mind that one of the most difficult emotional times in an exchange is when the student returns to his or her home country. The process of readjustment starts all over again and the student may feel "out of sync" with the family and friends he or she left behind. The person who returns home is a very different individual from the one who left 11 months earlier! Encourage your student to talk about the process of going home.
And Finally....some tips on saying Goodbye:
·	It is nice for the last host family to organize a little farewell party or gathering of friends before the student leaves.
·	Make sure his or her papers, plane tickets, and ticket confirmations are in order well before the time of departure. The last thing any of you need is to have a student miss their flight because they were missing their passport, visa, tickets or other necessary papers.
·	If many extra items were purchased in the USA or Canada you might want to ship these items home ahead of time. Check with postal service and air carrier services for the best rates.
·	You also need to settle all phone bills or other outstanding expenditures. It is not in anyone's best interests if a $300 phone bill arrives after your student has returned home!
·	Don't forget to close any bank accounts that were opened, including accounts at school.

STUDENT EXPENSES
·	Exchange students pay for their clothes, long distance phone calls, entertainment, and personal items. It is best if all families follow these guidelines. One host family paying for any of these items could embarrass other families that follow the guidelines.
·	Rotary Clubs in District 5080 give exchange students a monthly allowance of approximately $50.00 and host families need not provide any additional allowance. If your student is not receiving his or her Rotary allowance regularly you or the student should advise the Rotary counsellor. The Rotary Club also pays for the student's meal at Rotary meetings.
·	The host family provides room and board. Host families should follow the same principles in regard to school meals with exchange students as they do for their own children. If they generally prepare a lunch for their children they should do the same for their exchange student. If they pay for school lunches for their own student they should pay for school lunches for their exchange student.
·	If students are invited by host families to go on trips, vacations, etc., the sharing of costs should be discussed with the student before the trip begins. The host family may choose to pay all costs - especially if that is the practice for other family members.
STUDENT OBLIGATIONS
·	Students are expected to attend Rotary meetings periodically, as well as special functions such as Club picnics, work parties, fund raising events, etc. Generally, the student's counsellor will inform the student of meetings and other events that need to be attended.
·	Students are REQUIRED to attend the Inbound Exchange Student Orientation in September, and the Rotary District 5080 Tour and Conference in May or June.
·	Regular school attendance is required. The student's counsellor should be informed if the student or host parents have activities planned which result in absence from school. It is important to District 5080 that we maintain good relationships with the high schools in our host communities. Remember, though, that this is a cultural exchange first.
·	Some Rotary functions take priority over all other functions. Please contact the counsellor if there is any question as to which function the student should attend in a particular case.
RULES OF BEHAVIOR
·	All exchange students who come into District 5080 have agreed, in writing, to follow a set of rules governing their behaviours. Click here to see District 5080 Student Agreement. A copy should be available from the Student's Counsellor.
TRAVEL GUIDELINES AND POLICIES
·	Exchange students are not permitted to drive any motorized vehicle under any circumstances. This includes: trail bikes, motorcycles, snow mobiles, boats, ORVs. Plainly stated: "If it has a motor in it, exchange students can't drive it!"
·	Travel on an organized school trips is authorized, but the Rotary counselor must be advised.
·	Travel on special Rotary sponsored tours, such as the West Coast Tour or the YX Canadian Tour conducted in the summer months, is permitted. Neither a detailed itinerary nor permission from natural parents is required for Rotary sponsored travel. However, students MUST obtain prior permission from their host family and Rotary Club counselor. Where practical the student’s natural parents should also be advised in advance of such travel. Exchange students assume financial responsibility for all costs when traveling with other students or other families, and any return tickets must be purchased before departure.
·	Other travel while on exchange must be approved by the student’s host family and Rotary club counselor, and should generally be in the company of a host family, a Rotary family, or a Rotary-approved family or individual. Students who wish to travel with other families must have the prior approval of their host parents and natural parents. The student's counselor must be notified in advance for all travel outside of the district, including vacations or weekend holidays with host parents. The counselor will determine if it is necessary to contact the youth exchange chairman in District 5080 or if any special notification or permission is required. Rotary has a responsibility to know where are students are at all times, in the event that emergencies arise. Download: District 5080's Travel Permission Slip
·	Students are not allowed to travel unaccompanied unless:
	(a) They have the prior written consent of their host parents and natural parents.
	(b) They are traveling via approved public transportation.
	(c) They will be met and housed at the destination point by a person or persons approved in advance by the current host family and the Rotary club counselor; and
	(d) A written itinerary has been provided to, and approved by, the host family, Rotary Club counselor, and the Chair or a Vice-Chair of the District 5080 Youth Exchange Committee. The itinerary must include all bus/plane stops, including the dates and times, and must list all Rotary or other hosting families during the trip. Under no circumstances may a student call a local Rotarian at a location en route and ask to be hosted!
·	"LOCAL TRAVEL"- It is preferable for students to be driven by an adult, however local travel (within about 30 miles or 50 km of the host community) may be with a teenage driver, provided the host family knows the driver and would normally allow their own child to ride with that person.