Is your student interested in studying abroad? The LF/LB Rotary club provides students between the ages of 16 and 18 the opportunity of a lifetime! Each year they select one student to spend 11 months in another country learning the language and culture. Some of the countries that would be available, depending on the age of the applicant, are France, Denmark, Italy, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Chile, Brazil, Poland, and Austria. Students generally apply in October to go on exchange the next year. This is both a cultural and academic exchange, not a vacation. Outbound students and their parents are guided through months of orientation and information about the country of their exchange year. Outbound students typically stay with two or three Rotary-approved families and receive a monthly stipend for incidental expenses. Parents are responsible for airfare, incidentals, insurance, etc.

To qualify, students must be in the top 50% of their class or have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75. Students must also have been born between February 14, 1994 and August 16, 1996. This is a unique opportunity for students to travel abroad for a year during their sophomore, junior or senior year. They will learn about other cultures, other people, and about themselves. There is also the chance to take advantage of a “Gap” year experience after high school graduation before pursuing a college career. Time Magazine, in its September 13, 2010 issue, cites the growing trend of a gap year experience for many college bound students to help them refocus, energize, and gain additional maturity.

This year LFHS has one student, Junior Marisa Houlahan, on exchange in Denmark and one student, Baptiste Degryse, who is here on exchange from Belgium. To read more information about the program, please see www.rye6440.org and view the Outbound Exchange section. The program is administered by a Rotary Coop, Central States Rotary Youth Exchange, and even more information is available on their website, www.csrye.org. For further information and to pick up a copy of the application, students can visit Kathy O’Hara, Student Service/Community Coordinator, in Room 103C, or contact her at kohara@lfschools.net or 847-582-7774.

Completed applications are due on Tuesday, October 11th.