Meetings are held at 6.30pm on the first and third Thursdays of the month.
Meetings are held at 6.30pm on the first and third Thursdays of the month.
Our two returning Youth Exchange Students spoke about their experiences in Czechia. Eloise was in Czechia for a year and Gemma’s exchange was for three months.
They both experienced school life, living with a local family, trying to learn the language and customs around special times such as Easter and Christmas.
The three months provided a taste of life in another country while the full year provided an in depth experience and time to develop a deeper knowledge of the culture.
Eloise was surprised by a Czech Easter custom where the boys make a a birch whip, decorate it with ribbons and on Easter Monday whip the girls in the village. It is meant to bring luck and fertility.
The short term exchange is a family to family exchange facilitated by Rotary. Gemma applied through District 9790 as our district doesn’t offer the shorter exchange.
Marketa from Czechia came to live in Gemma’s house for three months and attended the same school as Gemma. Then when Gemma went to Czechia she lived with Marketa and her family for three months and attended school with Marketa.
L-R:Marketa, Lenka, Gemma
The main difference between the exchanges is that the Rotary clubs don’t have to find host families and schools. They help with the educational costs if needed and don’t pay the student an allowance. The clubs are still required to ensure a safe exchange, provide a counsellor and encourage a connection with Rotary.
The families provide local experiences and take the students on longer trips. Gemma was lucky enough to visit Munich with her host family.
Gemma chose the shorter exchange as she didn’t want an interruption to her final years at school. Some time in the future she would like to complete a full year exchange.
Both Gemma and Eloise were both living in the same village and had met each other there.
Maria Silber
