Rotary Short Term Exchange

The Rotary Short Term Exchange Program (STEP Program) is an amazing short term short abroad program that is completely free, all you have to cover is your own round trip airfare. On this type of program, you choose your top three countries you would like to go to and Rotary will pair you up with another exchange student from the country you are going to, and that student will be coming to your country. Once you have your partner, your family and their family will coordinate when you should do your exchanges and for how long. You can go on exchange from 2 weeks to 5 weeks through this program, you get to decide that. You also will have to go to the Outbound Orientation, which is a three day long orientation program put together by Rotary for the year-long students, but you only need to attend the meeting for one day on the short term program. When I participated in the STEP program, I was 15 years old and wanted to go to Italy. I was paired up with my exchange/ host brother, Tancredi, and stayed with his family first, from June 8th, 2015 to July 8th, 2015 in Milan. Once my stay ended, Tancredi and I flew back to the United States and he stayed with my family for a month. All in all, the STEP program is an amazing program for high school travelers seeking some independent traveling experience for a summer long program.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much does the STEP Program cost?
The STEP Program is a free program, but you only have to cover your airfare and personal expenses while abroad.

What countries can I go to on exchange?

  • Taiwan
  • Japan
  • Portugal
  • Brazil
  • Belgium
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy (The best one of them all ðŸ™‚)
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Liechtenstein... surprisingly 
  • UK
  • Iceland
  • Netherlands
  • Mexico
There are other countries that are offered by different clubs that are not listed above. Check with your local district to see where your district exchanges to.

Do your parents have to be Rotarians in order to go on this program?
No, anyone can participate in any of Rotary's youth programs (STEP, Year long exchange, and RYLA) regardless if you parents are Rotarians or not. 

How old do you  have to be to go on the STEP Program?
The STEP Program is for high school students (you must have finished at least one year of high school before leaving) aged 15-18 (some countries allow 19 year olds.)

Will I have to go to school on this program?
No! The exchange should take place once school is out for both exchange students. In the US, school ended late May, but didn't end until June 8th in Italy, so I had to wait for Tancredi to be finished for the year.

Will I get to go to the country I put down as my first choice?
It is not guaranteed that you will get your first choice or not. When I applied for this program, I put down Italy as my first choice, the Netherlands second, and Germany third, but I was lucky and got to go to Italy. Tancredi, my "exchange brother", put down Brazil as his first choice, but it filled up to quickly, so he was put into the US.

Will I have to attend Rotary meetings when I'm abroad?
It is not required, but it is encouraged. ðŸ™‚

Can I travel on this program?
Yes. You can travel with your host family on this program, as well as personal travel. When I was in Italy, my host family took me to Sicily for a 5 day trip. Once we got back, the following day, I went to Germany to visit some family friends in Münster, Germany for another 5 days. On the long term program, travel is very restrict since you are in school, you have a visa, and you are on a strict mandatory travel insurance plan. 

Do you travel alone?
When you are heading over your host country, you are traveling by yourself. When you come back into the US, you and your exchange partner will come back together. Once they are finished with their stay, they will leave by themselves.

Is going to orientation required?
Yes! Outbound orientation is mandatory for both year long and STEP students. Year long students are there for three days and the STEP students go for only one day. Orientation isn't really that bad, you get to meet the other students and learn the Do's and Don'ts. 

If there are any other questions, feel free to comment below and I will gladly answer any questions!

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