The newest additions to District 7430 have received their country assignments in their first outbound orientation weekend.
District 7430 Youth Exchange Committee met on January 5-6 for our First Outbound Orientation. This weekend retreat at the Quakertown YMCA was where the new Outbound students receive their country assignments and started their exchange journey. Student and parents arrived excited but anxious to learn where they would be heading next year on Rotary Exchange in 2019-20. The orientation encompasses many aspects of the exchange from travel to packing, insurance, how to be a Ambassador, making friends, living with a host family and much more. The students and family leave that day with a lot to think about and some homework to do, but it will all be with the effort if the student returns at the end of their exchange having had a successful year.
We want to CONGRATULATE the following OUTBOUND students to our program and we look forward to working with them over the next few months to prepare them for their exchange as a ROTARY exchange student!
Veronica - Brazil (Sponsored by Doylestown Rotary Club)
Daniela - Italy (Sponsored by Horsham Rotary Club)
Margaret - Denmark (Sponsored by Blue Bell Rotary Club)
Shannon - Spain (Sponsored by Ambler Rotary Club)
Nick - Sweden (Sponsored by Quakertown Rotary Club)
Special thanks to our Inbound Students who provided an International flavor and provided lunch. Each student prepared a typical dish from their home country to share with the group.
After the orientation was finished we dismissed the parents (I am sure they were very happy to head out and decompress) but we kept the students for a night of more orientation and FUN. Students had the run of the YMCA for the evening, enjoying the basketball courts, playing soccer, cards, volleyball and even had access to the pool, of course, socializing is one of their favorite past times. This meeting is a great way for the new outbound students to start making friends and socializing with an international flair. With no more than a few hours of sleep, students returned home the next morning after breakfast. Host families usually appreciate the peace and quiet that's associated with an exhausted exchange student. We look forward to the next orientation in February where we will continue to focus on ways for the students to become a successful exchange student and we do this with the help of our Inbounds students and our Rotex.