RYE Student Responsibilities
RYE Students are a Brave Bunch

NOTE:  for District 5190 RYE Forms and Complete Inbound and Outbound Program information, go to:  www.RYE5190.org

Expectations of the RYE Student

The year that the student is in a foreign country is both scary and exciting. Initially, most students will feel nervous and insecure. But quickly as their language skills improve, their confidence grows. Students are expected to attend the mandatory orientations and meetings. Unless the student receives permission, there is little excuse for not attending a mandatory meeting and failure to attend will result in severe consequences. The following guidelines are applicable for both inbound and outbound RYE students.

The 4 D’s

Every student is aware of the 4 Don’ts:

  • No serious Dating
  • No Driving
  • No Drugs
  • No Drinking

Violation of any of these rules can result in serious consequences, including termination of their exchange. This can be difficult to understand for students who are allowed these activities in their home country, but driving, taking of drugs or drinking alcohol are against the law in the US. And the restriction of no serious dating will prevent the possibility of a girl taking a baby home or a boy leaving a baby behind. These consequences are even more serious than breaking the law. In addition, serious dating will restrict the student’s activities and reduce their exposure to the many opportunities that an exchange year brings them.

Other Rules for Students

There are some other rules that a student should recognize:

  • WCSD requires a minimum of a C in each class they take
  • WCSD requires attendance of at least 90%
  • Students are not allowed to work; they have a J1 Student Visa and the Department of State does not allow working for an income in the US during their exchange stay
  • As part of the family, it is important to respect the rules of the family
  • Students should respect the privacy of the family and not discuss personal issues and activities of the family with friends and outsiders; this will earn the student the same rights of privacy
  • Students should make every effort to involve themselves in the activities of their hosting Rotary club – if the club meets during school hours, use vacations and school breaks to attend meetings and participate in non-club events
  • Students will give a presentation to their hosting club before they depart from exchange
  • Students should involve themselves in extracurricular activities to expand their school experience, but consider how these activities will impact school work and family time – don’t overdo
  • Always be honest – the 4-Way Test of Rotary always applies
  • Make sure that request for travel are submitted in a timely manner; see the Travel Authorization page for more information
  • Monthly Reflections reports are required to be filed on the the first day of the month for the previous month; the student Reflections report is found under the Reflections menu at the www.RYE5190.org website.
  • A monthly stipend of $130 is given to the student after the Reflections report is completed for the previous month
  • The student’s host family is their first line of support and they should share their problems with the family for help.
  • If the student has issues for which the host family cannot help, their counselor is there to help. The student needs to trust that the counselor is only interested in their safety and that the student has a successful exchange.

Most of all, as an exchange student, Rotary is aware of how courageous the students are to leave their homes, friends, family, community and school for this experience. We are here to support you. Have fun.