Introducing our new World View-Rotary Ambassadorial E-pal Scholar at-large and Resources form Rotary International

Rotary is an organization of over 30,000 clubs in 167 countries. Members are business and professional leaders who join together to provide humanitarian service and to build goodwill and peace around the world. The Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship Program allows college students and professionals an opportunity to live and study in a foreign country. While abroad, scholars serve as ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to greater understanding of their host countries.

For the past four years, World View has been arranging E-pal connections between Rotary Scholars abroad and North Carolina classes and schools. These E-pal connections give students a personal view into life in another world region and culture, increase global awareness, make the study of a country come alive for students, and build bridges between continents.

The Scholar at-large is an Ambassadorial Scholar who has agreed to share his or her experiences with all. The Scholar will answer questions and share stories about daily life and work in the country they are living. This year’s Scholar at-large is Sarah Price.

Presently, Sarah is fulfilling her ambassadorial scholarship at New Zealand's oldest university, the University of Otago in Dunedin. She is studying a broad range of subjects, including nutrition, exercise science, and New Zealand history and culture.

To read more about Sarah and to learn more about connecting your school with a Rotary Scholar, please visit our new blog: http://worldview-rotaryscholar.blogspot.com/

Teachers can submit questions from their students about Sarah’s life and work in New Zealand and the questions will be answered on the blog. Also, you can find links to teaching resources and further information on New Zealand. We will continue to add educators resources to the site and if you have any to share please email your suggestions to Julie at World View (kinnaird@unc.edu).

If you enjoy reading our Rotary Scholar at-Large’s blog, consider requesting a Rotary Scholar E-pal for your own class. To connect a Rotary Scholar with your class or school, contact Regina Higgins at World View at (919) 843-7793 or regina_higgins@unc.edu

Rotary Youth Exchange
Rotary Youth Exchange is a program designed to send high school students between the ages of 15 and 25 to live and attend school in a foreign country for up to a year. The short-term and long-term programs provide thousands of students with the opportunity to meet people from cultures different than their own. Today there are more than 80 countries hosting over 8,000 Rotary Youth Exchange participants annually. Although the families of the students are responsible for arranging transportation to the host country, the Youth Exchange participant’s local Rotary Club will pay for tuition in the country. Some Rotary clubs have established scholarships for disadvantaged students to help fund the cost of plane tickets and other expenses. Check with your local Rotary club to see if they offer such assistance.

Interact
Rotary International sponsors a service club for youth ages 14-18 called Interact. This program helps teens develop leadership skills, while engaging in fun service projects. Local Rotary Clubs sponsor individual Interact clubs and commit to providing guidance and support to the youth. Interact clubs must complete at least two service projects a year, one of which much foster international understanding.

Rotaract
In addition to Interact, there is a service club for individuals 18-30 years old called Rotaract. Local Rotary Clubs sponsor these community or university-based groups. Currently there are over 7,000 Rotaract clubs worldwide.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)
RYLA is Rotary's leadership training program for people ages 14-30, emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth. (Local clubs and districts may choose to focus on a narrower age range). Selected Participants attend an all-expenses-paid seminar, camp, or workshop to discuss and develop leadership skills. Local Rotary clubs and districts select attendees and facilitate the events. RYLA often leads to the formation or strengthening of Rotaract and Interact clubs, and participants frequently go on to become Rotary Youth Exchange students or Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholars.

Rotary Friendship Exchange
The Rotary Friendship Exchange was developed to provide Rotarians and their families an opportunity to explore and experience other cultures by staying in the homes of Rotarians all over the world. Rotary International hopes that through these friendship exchanges local Rotary clubs will strengthen fellowship and service projects, and will increase cross-cultural understanding.

The Rotary Foundation
The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the mission of Rotary International. The Foundation sponsors international humanitarian service projects and educational and cultural exchanges. The Rotary Foundation's Educational Programs that are most fitting for K-12 and community college educators include the Ambassadorial Scholarships and the Group Study Exchange.

Ambassadorial Scholarships
As mentioned above, the Rotary Foundation offers Ambassadorial Scholarships for college students and qualified professionals to further international understanding. This scholarship program is the world’s largest privately-funded international scholarship program and current scholars are living in over 70 countries across the globe.

Group Study Exchange
The Group Study Exchange (GSE) program of The Rotary Foundation is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young professionals between the ages of 25 and 40. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. Rotary Foundation will provide transportation to the host country and local Rotarians are responsible for providing room and board.

Several local Rotary clubs have helped to sponsor school teams to World View programs. To learn more about any of the Rotary programs listed above, or to find out how Rotary can support your school's global education initiative, contact your local Rotary Club. Rotary has divided North Carolina into eight districts, comprised of over 250 local clubs. To find the club nearest you click here or to search for a local Rotary Club website click here.