By Wendy Lamond
Rotary International has been in existence since 1905 and has a track record of addressing challenges, creating friendships and has an ongoing commitment to changing the world for the better. One of their more popular programs that you may have heard about over the years is Rotary Youth Exchange. The program allows a young person between the ages of 15-18 to experience new cultures, make new friends and explore new places. The program is sponsored by Rotary in more than 100 countries.
Claire Dunbar from St. Marys will be taking on this exciting challenge in August as she embarks on an exchange to Denmark. When I reached out to her, she was more than happy to share what all was involved, up until now, in this adventure.
When asked what drew her toward the program Dunbar shared, “I’ve always wanted to travel outside of North America, and when I heard about the opportunity for an exchange, I thought it would be the perfect chance to be able to travel while still going to school.” Being immersed in a new language and culture was also a draw.
Dunbar speaks very highly of all the Rotarians that she has dealt with so far in the process saying they have done an excellent job to help ensure that everything run smoothly.
The date for her departure is not yet determined but she does know that she will be going to Denmark mid- to late August and will be there for approximately 10 months which coincides with the school year there.
There will be a Danish student coming to Canada but not necessarily to St. Marys as it does not have to be a direct exchange.
The process, according to Dunbar, is long but definitely worth it. It starts by filling out a form to be considered and once that is approved, you will be contacted by the local Rotary Club. An interview with the student and parents is conducted to see if you are a good fit for the program. Once through to the next step, you will receive a long online application that includes doctor and dentist forms, school transcript, questions about interests and a letter to potential host families. The final part of the application is to choose and rank 12 different countries. Dunbar shared that after this step was done, she completed district interviews in Lambeth. Dunbar was interviewed by a panel of Rotarians, spoke with the District Chair and attended a country fair. At the fair she was able to meet students from other countries or students who have been to other countries and have come back to promote their regions of the world.
In the coming months Dunbar will be attending training sessions with Rotary that will teach her what to expect while she is away and how to develop coping skills to help with issues like homesickness, adapting to change and dealing with isolation because of language barriers.
Parents David and Erin would like to thank the Rotary Club of St. Marys and all the other volunteers with Rotary for their hard work and dedication to the program. “We are very excited for Claire to have the incredible opportunity to participate in the program. As much as we’ll miss her, we know that this will be a defining time in her life that will help to shape the person she becomes.” they said.
When asked what she is looking forward to the most Claire shared, “I think I am most excited to be able to immerse myself in a culture that is different from the one here. I am also looking forward to learning and speaking another language with people who are fluent in the dialect. I am looking forward to learning about what the popular types of literature, film and music are in comparison to Canada. I’m just really excited for the opportunity.”
“The Rotary Club of St. Marys is proud to sponsor Claire’s exchange to Denmark!”, reported Mark Oliver, Youth Exchange Officer. “We are always looking for young people who are open-minded, mature, curious about other cultures and up for a challenge. Claire has all these qualities and more. ”Soon we will begin accepting applications from students who would like to go on exchange in 2026 - 2027. In March we will learn who our next inbound student is and what country they’re from. We’ll be needing three families who are interested in hosting this student in their homes for three months each. Please contact the Rotary Club of St. Marys if you would like to be involved as an outbound student or as a host family. It’s a very enriching experience for everyone involved.”
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