50 Years: Personal Stories from Rotary Youth Exchange

50 Years: Personal Stories from Rotary Youth Exchange

From Rotary Voices by Rotary magazine

December 23, 2025 · 41 min

About this episode

This episode features personal stories from participants of the Rotary Youth Exchange program, highlighting its impact on cultural understanding and peace.

The Rotary Youth Exchange program has been promoting international understanding for 50 years. The program, which enables young people to live and study abroad for up to a year, serves as a bridge for cultural competence and builds the foundation for peace. In this episode, longtime exchange host Sabrina Barreto and one of the students her family hosted, Simon Foote, share their perspectives on the program. Holger Knaack, chair of The Rotary Foundation Trustees and a past Rotary president, discusses his experience hosting over 40 students with his wife, Susanne.

People in this episode

Host: Sabrina Barreto

Guest: Simon Foote

Topics covered

  • Rotary Youth Exchange
  • cultural competence
  • international understanding
  • personal stories
  • peace building

Keywords

  • Rotary
  • Youth Exchange
  • cultural competence
  • international understanding
  • peace
  • personal stories
  • Sabrina Barreto
  • Simon Foote

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rotary Youth Exchange, The Rotary Foundation

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