By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
Arnold Taylor has a message for Covington High School students.
Start packing.
The District Chair for 6740 – and a member of the Covington Rotary Club since 1978 – is leading the charge for the Rotary International Youth Exchange.
The program is operated under the rules and guidelines of Rotary International and the United States Department of State governing such programs.
Rotary District 6740 has a Youth Exchange Committee which oversees the details of Exchange by students in the district.
Arnold Taylor
“Youth Exchange is truly a scholarship program,” Taylor told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “The student receives free room and board, free school tuition, and a monthly stipend from the host Rotary Club.”
Airfare and Rotary International approved medical insurance, and passport/visa expenses are to be paid by the student’s family.
“I joined Rotary because I was looking for a community service club,” said Taylor, who was raised in Covington and graduated the University of Kentucky with a Law Degree in 1965.
“About 10 years ago, I suggested our club get involved with Youth Exchange. And we sent one or two kids to foreign countries to study.”
Taylor says the program is for high school students – and if you’ll be 15½ to 19 years of age – when you depart may apply for the program.
“And,” he adds, “District 6740 does not require that a student have top grades; only that the student has good grades.”
Applications may be found here.
“We’re accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year,” Taylor said. “Rotary International offers partial scholarships for any Kentucky student – and full scholarships for Covington-based students.”
Participating Covington schools include Latin School, Holy Cross and Holmes.
“There is no cost for the application,” Taylor reminds.
He quickly points out that the Covington Rotary Club has recently sent Covington High School students to Spain and Mexico – several times; Turkey, Germany, Brazil, Poland, and France.
“No English-speaking countries are available, except Australia,” he said.
And, not every country in the world participates in Exchange.
“A student will be given a list of countries to visit, and he/she will have the opportunity to name countries willing to visit. There is no guarantee you will get the country of one’s first choice.”
The “Short-Term” Exchange lasts a month.
A student leaves his or her home country and lives for one month with a host family; then the student from the host family travels to the home of the other student and lives there for a month.
Long-Term lasts a school year, plus a few days for travel and orientation.
A student is provided a monthly stipend by the host Rotary club, and the host family provides room and board to the student.
The program is entirely volunteer supported – and no one gets paid.
All you need is a suitcase.
So, start packing.
Questions on Rotary Youth Exchange may be directed to Arnold Taylor, asaty1965@gmail.com
