Autumn is soon colouring the leaves of the trees, just as the exchange students arriving from around the world bring vibrant energy to our district! A total of 21 young people from 12 different countries received a strong start to their exchange year at the Karkku camp. The newly appointed chair of the district’s Youth Exchange Committee hopes even more young people will have the chance to experience the uniqueness of an exchange year.
Seventeen clubs in our district are actively involved in Rotary’s long-term exchange program and benefit from the energy and international atmosphere brought by the students. In Estonia, only one club currently hosts exchange students, but this year it is hosting as many as three.
Anne Kuusio, who has just started as chair of the district’s Youth Exchange Committee, wants to strengthen the sense of community and provide young people with opportunities for international experiences.
“Rotary’s future also lies in the youth, which is why I strongly encourage more clubs to host an exchange student. Our youth exchange program is safe, certified, and affordable – a program I hope all clubs would take advantage of,” she says.
The committee acknowledges that running a successful youth exchange program requires both financial and practical input from clubs and encourages collaboration where needed:
“Even small clubs can collaborate with neighbouring clubs. Responsibilities for the student can be shared between years, or fundraising can be done together so that every club can participate. Don’t be afraid to step outside the comfort of weekly meetings when it comes to fundraising.”
In addition to long-term exchanges, Anne also highlights the opportunities in summer exchange programs:
“My own club, Ekenäs Rotaryklubb, successfully launched a family-to-family exchange this summer, which involves no financial burden on the club. I believe this will inspire more young people to participate in summer exchanges, and I encourage other clubs to try it as well.”
She reminds us that involving host families can bring new members into the Rotary community and support the continuity of the program:
“Youth exchange might well be the thing that brings new members into Rotary, especially when host families are actively involved in club activities.”
During her term, Anne aims to distribute the planning and organising of events so that each committee member has a clear role and tasks. In the next Rotary year (2026), the chair will be Tanel Ringo from Estonia.
“Together with him, we will work toward our set goals and prepare him for the role. The chairs of the district Youth Exchange Committees are also members of the multidistrict Rotary Youth Exchange organisation of Finland and Estonia. That is where common policies are agreed upon, and all our country correspondents are active on the frontlines of the program,” Anne summarises.
There are 44 clubs in our district in Finland and 23 in Estonia. What if we took on the challenge and each sent one exchange student next year, for a year, a summer, or even just to a camp?
Read more about Rotary’s youth exchange opportunities: https://rye.fi/vaihtoon-ulkomaille/
Pictures from the rebound-inbound meeting at Villa Junghans Kauniainen on the 6th of September 2025 / Anne Kuusio
