Post-high school, live abroad

Rotary created New Generation Exchange to give young adults, age 18-25, the chance to live abroad, be exposed to a new culture, and participate in vocational training.

The exchanges are short--typically several weeks (but no more than three months), and they take place in a variety of participating countries. The goal, as with all of Rotary's exchange programs, is to create goodwill and international understanding through cultural immersion and, in this case, vocational training.

Participants live with local Rotarian hosts or non-Rotarian hosts who are working with the Rotary NGE program.

New Generations Exchange participants attend Rotary meetings and join local Rotarians for social and cultural activities. NGE participants also attend Rotaract meetings, if there is a Rotaract club in their host city.

Brazil Exchange

District 5220 of Rotary International, a worldwide service club, has an international exchange program to Brazil for young adults aged 18 to 25 as of July 1, 2012. Applicants must live, work, or study in Rotary District 5220, which includes San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Mariposa Counties as well as the City of Galt. They must be friendly, outgoing, and well behaved as they will be representing their country and Rotary.

Date of Exchange

This is a three- to six- week trip in June, July, or August 2012 to Parana State in Southern Brazil. The exact details and duration of this trip will be worked out once participants are chosen. The capital of Parana is Curitiba, the seventh largest city in Brazil with a population of over 1.7 million. Curitiba is one of the nicest and most prosperous cities in Brazil The famous Iguacu Falls are located on the border of Parana State as is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, Itaipu.

Cost of Exchange

The cost for the trip is estimated at $1,500, though actual cost will be determined by the cost of the airline tickets and insurance.

Application Instructions

1. Fill out the Microsoft Word application. You can find it here. E-mail the application to jmensinger@4x6.com.

2. The application deadline is April 15, 2012. Applicants will need to attend a District level interview.

3.If you are selected for the trip to Brazil we will meet with you and the other successful applicants to figure out how to structure the trip. Our Rotary hosts in Brazil are flexible and will allow us to customize your program to a certain extent. They are flexible as to exact dates and duration of the stay though it will be sometime in June, July, or August 2012, probably for a period of three to six weeks. You will need to attend training and orientation sessions. You will be encouraged to study Portugese as spoken in Brazil.