Fresh greetings from the Lapland Tour – we returned on the morning of December 29, 2025. All of our district’s exchange students participated, and the trip was a success. Many thanks again to the clubs whose joint projects made it possible for several students to join. Follow events and photos on social media!
District 1420 Youth Exchange Committee operates according to the planned schedule prepared before the Rotary year begins.
You’ll find the most significant events, gatherings, and trainings in the district’s “Current Events” calendar. The next training will be for host families in January. It is intended for those who did not participate in the autumn but will host an exchange student during this or the next Rotary year. Trainings for both host families and youth exchange officers ensure that safety and responsibility issues are well understood and that everyone knows where to find the relevant information.
The committee chair monitors monthly written reports of IB and OB (Inbound, Outbound) students in the RYE (Rotary Youth Exchange) YEAH system. If necessary, issues are addressed together with the club’s youth exchange officer, and assistance is provided in arranging matters. After reading both OB and IB students’ reports, I can state that adaptation to a new country appears normal. A few surprises have also been successfully resolved through cooperation.
Committee meetings are held monthly, usually online, but we finally met face-to-face in Helsinki at the beginning of December. We are pleased to note that new energy and contributors will join the group from the start of the year.
Regarding the exchange year 2026–2027, many young people and their parents attended the district interview and information session in October. For the year exchange 2025–2026, 19 students are now finalising their applications, 4 of them from Estonia. For Family to Family, i.e. summer exchange, there are currently 18 applicants and the same number for camp exchange. It is particularly delightful that more young people from Estonia will be joining the exchange.
Wishing you a pleasant Christmas season
-Anne-
