Rotary is a global service organization that follows the principle “Service Above Self”. Its goals are understanding, goodwill and peace between peoples.

Rotary is an international voluntary service and charity organization founded in 1905 in Chicago. Rotary International is headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, USA.

Rotary has 1.2 million members in 35 000 clubs in more than 200 countries. Finland is divided into Rotary districts, one of which also includes Estonian clubs. There are a total of 300 clubs in Finland and Estonia with more than 10 000 Rotarians.

One of the most prominent Rotarian programs is the Youth Exchange. Each year, more than 8 000 young people around the world are offered the opportunity to learn about a foreign culture through Rotary for a few weeks, months or an entire school year.

Rotary’s Youth Exchange program is safe and affordable. Safety is based on the familiarization and training of all parties involved in the program, as well as a safety network made up of volunteers. Host families or the Rotary Club are not paid for student maintenance or accommodation.

Youth exchanges often result in years of international friendships between the young people and the families involved in the exchange.

Inbound stories

Charles was mentioned in Ilta-Sanomat newspaper in 2019 (in Finnish).