Exchange benefits

By Dana Delano
Houlton Rotary Club
    The Short-Term Youth Exchange program was established in our club in 2003. Houlton Rotary sends up to three students each year from area schools on a six- to eight-week foreign exchange. It is a true exchange in that our students go to a host country and family for three to four weeks and those students visit our area for an equal amount of time.
    It is the objective of this program to advance the knowledge and world understanding of these students, as well as to foster world peace and good will at a personal level. It is our hope that young people will be able to observe first-hand the problems and accomplishments of other countries by living with and meeting people of cultures and creeds other than their own. We are pleased to provide our local youth with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will further benefit their futures and their lives.
    During the summer of 2010, three area students will be traveling abroad through the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Danika Fitzpatrick of Houlton High School will be traveling to Germany; Kimberly Levesque of Hodgdon High School will be visiting The Netherlands; and Chelsi Murray of Houlton High School will be experiencing Finland. Keep a look out for three foreign exchange students from these countries visiting our community as well in June and July.