The Rotary Youth Exchange is back in business in District 7210 after a hiatus of two years. Our District Youth Exchange Committee and Rotary Clubs in the Hudson Valley have been busy in 2022 preparing our outgoing students for their international school year abroad. And, we are so excited to be hosting five international students in five District 7210 clubs. Rotary Clubs in Greenville, Cairo, Rhinebeck, Millbrook and Walden have all stepped up again to experience the great benefit of hosting a student for the year.

Without the generous involvement of these clubs and their volunteer host families, our District would not have such a successful program over the years.

The District 7210 Youth Exchange committee invites all Hudson Valley Rotary Clubs to do like the Walden Club and re-engage with youth exchange. Youth exchange has the benefits of: allowing your club to meet and learn more about a young person from another country; introducing your club and members to a whole new group of community volunteers; making a stronger connection to your local high school; reinforcing or helping create an Interact Club In your high school; introducing your club to activities that involve young people and possibly engage them in community service projects.

By being involved in Rotary Youth Exchange you are hosting and sending abroad youth ambassadors for your Rotary Club, your Rotary District and your country. What greater way is there to build peace around the world.

There are several opportunities for your club to get involved with youth exchange. First, your club can agree to sponsor a high school student for a school year abroad. The student is your selection and doesn’t need to be a Rotarian.

Next, your club can host an international student for the school year. Two-to-three host families are recruited by your club. Plus, one member of your club is trained to be your liaison with the student.

Then, there is also our summer, short-term, family-to-family exchange program that has been popular with clubs and families that are not quite ready for a year abroad or a year of hosting. This program does not involve our local schools or high schools abroad.

These are all great opportunities for our District 7210 clubs to experience the benefits of youth exchange. We hear from returning students all the time that youth exchange has been a positive, life changing event. And former host families create new connections for life. Finally, our clubs with youth exchange experience do it year after year.

So, please consider one of these opportunities for your club. Our District committee is very experienced and will be more than happy to assist with your club's involvement. Just click on the Youth tab on this page for more information.

In 2022, with a $1,000 donation from Red Hook Rotary, a $1,500 grant from Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health, a donation from Deep Roots Construction (Casey Van Voorhis), and Clynk monies raised by Red Hook Rotary and DKG (Dutchess County Alpha Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma - an International Society for Key Women Educators), over 120 backpacks were filled to the brim with school supplies (plus a box of tissues, a large tube of toothpaste, and a bamboo recyclable toothbrush) needed by students to start the 2022-23 academic year.

Additionally, Red Hook Rotary has reached out privately to several special needs classroom teachers where there is a need for supplemental school supplies in several local school districts. It should be noted that a donated book has also been placed in each backpack Pre-K-5.

Distribution was through various food pantries in the Red Hook Central School District.  Red Hook Rotary and the Red Hook Rotary Foundation also generously donates $3,000 to Red Hook Harvest annually to alleviate food insecurity for families with children attending the Linden Avenue Middle School and Red Hook High School.  Many of the same families express a need for school supplies for their children.