Spend a summer abroad. Bring a friend home.
Rotary's Short-Term Exchange Program matches you with a student your age in another country. You live with their family for three to four weeks, then they come home and live with yours. The Rotary Club of Wake Forest sponsors local students.
Curious about the world?
You don't need to speak another language, and your family doesn't need to be in Rotary. If a month abroad sounds exciting rather than scary, this program was built for you.
- You're curious and like learning about other cultures
- You're open to new traditions, perspectives, and ways of doing things
- You love meeting new people and making friends for life
- You want to learn more about yourself and what you care about
- You'd like your college and job applications to stand out
- You want to be a good ambassador for Wake Forest and the United States
One exchange, two summers in one
STEP is a one-to-one exchange. You and your match each get a month in someone else's home, and each of you goes home with a new brother or sister.
- Apply in the fallTalk to us first. The Rotary Club of Wake Forest sponsors your application, and your family completes a home visit and background check.
- Meet your match in the springRotary pairs you with a student about your age, of the same gender, in another country. You'll attend an orientation before you go.
- Live abroad this summerSpend three to four weeks as part of your match's family: their meals, their friends, their town, and their language.
- Bring your host sibling homeYour match travels back with you and spends the same three to four weeks with your family in Wake Forest.
Wake Forest to Foggia, Italy
A Wake Forest student sponsored by our club was matched with a student from Foggia, in southern Italy (Rotary District 2120). She spent a month living with her match's family, from late June to late July.
Highlights included a flag exchange with the Interact Club of Foggia, the youth service club Rotary sponsors there. Then her host sister flew home with her to Wake Forest, where our community welcomed our Italian guest with a reception in her honor.
What families need to know
Rotary Youth Exchange is run by volunteer Rotarians, not a travel company, so it costs far less than commercial programs. In our district it is organized through ESSEX, the Eastern States Student Exchange, a group of 32 Rotary districts.
Who can apply
- [Ages 15 to 18½ on August 1 of the summer you travel]
- A valid passport
- Free to travel, and to host, during the summer
- No job or other commitment that would get in the way of hosting
- A home visit and background check for your family
- Attend orientation before you travel
What Rotary provides
- Matching with a student and host family abroad
- Room and board with your host family
- Background checks and the home visit, coordinated for you
- Youth protection training and a youth protection card
- Pre-departure orientation
- A Rotary club and volunteers looking out for you at both ends
What families pay
- Application fee [amount]
- Passport and visa expenses
- CISI travel and medical insurance while abroad
- Round-trip airfare
- Travel agency fees
- Emergency and spending money
How Rotary keeps students safe
Your student lives with a screened family and has a Rotarian to call in both countries.
- Every host family is screenedHost families abroad and here at home go through background checks and a home visit before any student is placed.
- Trained volunteers on both endsRotarians who work with students complete background checks and youth protection training. Your student has a Rotary contact abroad and one here.
- Insured and monitoredStudents carry CISI travel and medical insurance. ESSEX and Rotary monitor conditions in every region they exchange with and follow U.S. State Department exchange rules.
Apply through the club. Deadline for summer 2027: [application deadline].
Learn your family match, then attend orientation.
Travel abroad for three to four weeks, then host your match at home.
Questions about hosting, cost, or safety? A member of the Rotary Club of Wake Forest will answer them, or call ESSEX at 1-888-ROTARY-X (1-888-768-2799).
Talk to a RotarianYouth exchange FAQ
What is the Rotary Short-Term Exchange Program?
STEP is a summer exchange for high school students. You live with a matched family in another country for three to four weeks, and then that family's teen lives with your family in the United States for the same length of time. Wake Forest students apply through the Rotary Club of Wake Forest, and Rotary District 7710 runs the program through ESSEX, the Eastern States Student Exchange.
Do I need to speak another language?
No. The exchange is about culture, and it is short, so most students find language is not a barrier. Learning a few basics before you go helps.
Do my parents need to be Rotarians?
No. Students from any family can apply, whether or not anyone in it belongs to Rotary.
Does my family have to host?
Yes. STEP is a one-to-one exchange: your family hosts the student whose family you lived with abroad.
Will I go to school while I'm abroad?
No. Short-term exchanges happen while school is out, so you spend your time with your host family and their community.
How much does it cost?
Room and board are provided by the host families on both ends. Families pay the application fee, passport and visa costs, CISI travel insurance, round-trip airfare, travel agency fees, and spending money. Because Rotary volunteers run the program, it costs much less than most commercial exchange programs.
How do I get started?
Contact the Rotary Club of Wake Forest through the form on our contact page. A member will answer your questions and walk you and your parents through the application.
Your summer starts with one message
Tell us a little about yourself and we'll walk you and your parents through the application for summer 2027.