It is the responsibility of each Rotarian to prepare the Youth — all young people up to the age of 30 — by improving their life skills to ensure a better future, while recognizing the diversity of their needs. All clubs and districts are encouraged to undertake projects that support the fundamental needs of the New Generations: health, human values, education, and self-development. The RI Structured Programs for Youth are Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), and Rotary Youth Exchange.
The following programs and activities are components of Rotary's programs for Youth:
The Rotaract program provides young adults an opportunity to enhance the
knowledge and skills that will assist them in personal development, address
the physical and social needs of their communities, and promote better relations
between all people worldwide through a framework of friendship and
service. Rotaract clubs are composed of young adults ages 18-30 who live, work,
or study within the vicinity of the sponsoring Rotary club. On 30 June of the
Rotaract year in which a member becomes 30 years old, his or her Rotaract
membership will end. (RCP 41.020.)
Rotary Club of Tokyo sponsored Rotaract Club:Tokyo Rotaract Club
Youth Exchange is an RI Structured Program that gives youth ages 15-19 an
opportunity to visit or study in a country other than their own.
There are three types of Youth Exchange:
• Long-term exchanges allow the student to study in another country for an
academic year.
• Short-term exchanges allow the student to visit another country for as
little as a few weeks.
• New Generations exchanges allow young adults aged 18-25 to visit or
study in another country for up to three months.
Rotary Club of Tokyo only accept Long-term exchange student once a several years.
All students must apply locally and be sponsored by a Rotary club in their
community. The parents or legal guardians are expected to provide health, accident,
and liability insurance and roundtrip transportation to and from the hosting
district. Host families for the students are expected to provide room and
board for the student, while the hosting, or receiving, district should provide
for all educational expenses, as well as a modest monthly allowance for those
students on a long-term exchange. Exchanges are organized between sponsoring
and hosting districts by agreement and are expected to be reciprocal.
All club, district, and multidistrict Youth Exchange programs are encouraged
to enhance risk management efforts to prevent and respond appropriately
to any alleged instances of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse involving
program participants. In addition, clubs and districts are strongly encouraged
to consult legal counsel regarding liability issues before undertaking Youth
Exchange activities, including advice on securing liability insurance.
The RI Board, with a view to promoting Youth Exchange as an opportunity
for the development of international understanding, encourages governors to
appoint district Youth Exchange officers or committees, include incoming governors
as members of these committees, and provide the general secretary with
their names and addresses. The district Youth Exchange officers or committees
are under the supervision of their respective governors. (RCP 41.080.)