Orientation for Host Families

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Orientation for Host Families

• District 6670

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Introduction

• Welcome
• Our goal Making World A Better Place
• Thank you for your participation !!!

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Hosting Rotary Clubs
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Hosting Rotary Clubs
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District 6670 Organization
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What You Will Learn Today

• Closeness of new friends (family of Rotary)
• Rotary expectations
• Helpful ideas for you
• Calendar of activities

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CHALLENGES FOR THE ROTARY EXCHANGE STUDENT ARE
MANY
Your Community
Host Families
School
Exchange Student / Rotary Counselor
Host Rotary Club
Friends in High School
Host Rotary District
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Rotary Support Structure

• Rotary Club
• Rotary Youth Exchange Committee
• Rotary Counselor

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Counselor Responsibilities

• Maintain contact with student and family
• Show continued interest support
• Resolve problems before problems get big
• Register student at school
• Ensure that student receives monthly allowance
• Keep club YE committee informed
• get Rotary club membership involved

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Items Rotary Counselor Must Hold for Student

• Paid for return airline ticket
• Emergency fund (350) deposited in a bank
• Passport and DS-2019

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Student Challenges

• Adapting to host families and new culture
• Doing well in school
• Homesickness making close friends
• Speaking English
• Following the rules of Rotary
• Getting involved in Rotary club and community

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1. Host Family Expectations

• Treat student as member of the family
• Delegate daily responsibilities for the home
• Assist student in finding right friends
• Be prepared to say No when appropriate
• Ensure students dress present themselves
  appropriately

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1. Sample Family Rules

• Be on time
• Curfew
• Do school homework
• No telephone after certain hour
• Help with chores (cleaning dishes, mowing lawn,
  etc.)

See list of questions to ask on yeoresources.org
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1. Use of Telephone

• Explain how it works set rules for use
• Limit calls to country (family, friends)
• Helps them to overcome homesickness
• Ensure no phone bills (100, 500, 1,000)
• Telephone calling card for student calling home
• buy at Wal-Mart (ATT International Card)

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1. Use of Family Computer

• Do not let student spend too much time on
  computer
• Limit or prohibit downloading information
• Explain no visits to pornography sites, etc.
• Limit the use of AOL Instant Messenger or MSN or
  other IM programs
• Ensure not too many e-mails to family and friends
  back home
• Makes adapting to our culture more difficult

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2. Expectations at School

• Ensure clear understanding of school credits
  while they are here (often answer is None)
• Usually not allowed to graduate
• Remind them to say thank you to school teachers
• Write letter introducing student RYE to
  teachers)
• Ensure regular class attendance and proper
  attention to work
• Assure school missed work will be completed
• Rotary will take students out of school at times
• They are expected to make up work

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2. Varsity Sports at School

• Students who have already graduated cannot play
  on Varsity team
• May be able play on Junior Varsity (JV)
• Participation in varsity athletics requires
  approval from state (and may cost )
• School has paperwork
• Student is expected to pay own costs for sports

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3. Making Close Friends

• A major challenge to YE students
• Help in finding clubs for student to join
• Interact (in many of the schools)
• Sports
• Theater
• Band, orchestra
• Active participation is good cure for homesickness

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3. Limit Visits with Other Exchange Students

• Rotary provides many opportunities for exchange
  students to get together
• Their initiative -- to make American friends
• Limit birthday party invitations to American
  students and exchange students close by
• Transportation can be difficult
• Can cause family frustration

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4. Speaking English

• Sometimes students speak own language
• Considered quite rude
• Forces others away from you
• This can be major problem
• Ensure students actively work to improve
• Good computer programs available
• Dont be afraid to correct students English

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5. Serious Rules of Rotary

• No drinking
• No driving
• including no drivers education class
• No serious dating
• Obeying the law
• No smoking
• No drugs
• No shoplifting, etc.

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5. Problem Solving

• Some problems will occur
• Student should ask for help, in this order
• Host family
• Club counselor
• Club youth exchange officer
• District Youth exchange committee
• Host families must not let small problems become
  big problems. Ask for help.
• Club counselor
• Club Youth Exchange officer
• District Youth Exchange Committee

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6. Statement of Conduct for Working with Youth

• Rotary International is committed to creating
  and maintaining the safest possible environment
  for all participants in Rotary activities. It is
  the duty of all Rotarians, Rotarians spouses,
  partners, and other volunteers to safeguard to
  the best of their ability the welfare of and to
  prevent the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
  of children and young people with whom they come
  into contact.

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6. Student Protection Guidelines

• What to do if your exchange student tells you of
  Harassment and/or Abuse
• Listen attentively let him/her know it was
  right to tell you
• Assure him/her that they are not to blame
• Remain calm and make sure student feels safe
• Encourage student to share with you what happened
  and who was involved
• Make detailed notes including date time
• Dont promise to keep secrets explain the
  necessity of informing the District Chair

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6. Student Protection Guidelines

• Keep Communications Open
• Assure student that you can jointly address
  his/her concerns/problem
• Report the Case to the District Chair and the
  Club Counselor Immediately
• Dont Investigate
• Leave this to the proper authorities
• Support the Student Emotionally

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6. Student Protection Guidelines

• District 6670 has two non-Rotarian Counselors
• Dr. Lazaro Pages, M.D.
• Home phone [phone]
• Office phone [phone]
• Mrs. Vickie Williamson
• Home phone [phone]
• Cell phone [phone]

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7. Student Getting Involved

• Active involvement in Rotary and community
  essential to be good ambassador
• Rotary meetings
• Orientations for American students
• Programs to Rotary clubs
• Programs to schools and clubs
• Help student to say yes and to be proud to be
  ambassador for their country and Rotary

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7. Activities

• Sharing family activities (even if not favorite
  thing to do)
• Rotary Club
• Meetings and socials
• Fund Raisers
• Other activities
• District (see follow-up slides)

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7. Rotary District Activities

• YE Orientation (mandatory) September
• Halloween Party (Hamilton) October
• Christmas Party (mandatory) Dec 17
• TBA January
• TBA February
• TBA March
• District Conference (mandatory) April 27-28
• Kings Island (Cincinnati) May

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Students Role as Ambassador

• Students portray their whole country
• By their attitude
• By their decisions
• By their appearance
• By their willingness to do for others
• Students make a difference so much depends on
  their desire to be ambassador
• Reminders from counselor and host family needed

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One Last Request

• Students Name, Address Telephone must be kept
  current in US SEVIS database
• Please inform Eric Marcus when student moves
  families and provide the needed information
  including host family e-mail

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Summary

• THANK YOU !!!!!!!!
• We have a great year planned
• Program will not work without dedicated
  counselors and host families
• We are more than eager to help

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Where to get more information

• District committee
• Eric Marcus - District Chair
• Phone [phone]
• E-mail eric.marcus_at_mindspring.com
• Mac Hickman - Outbound Chair
• Phone [phone]
• E-mail mac_at_cinci.rr.com
• Monte Zinn - Short Term Co-Chair
• Phone [phone]
• Michael Kinner - Short Term Co-Chair
• Phone [phone]
• E-mail mkinner_at_lovins-ins.com
• Ohio Erie website www.OhioErie.org