Policies

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.

Adopted by the RI Board of Directors, November 2002

As the State Department letter to host families puts it, encounters across significant cultural differences are at the core of the Youth Exchange Programs: “The secondary school student program offers a unique opportunity for you to experience firsthand the richness and diversity of a culture different from your own, and for you to exemplify American values and culture to a foreign visitor. Through this program, you will join thousands of American families who serve as citizen ambassadors of the United States.”

Abuse and Harassment (Policies and Reporting)

Rotary International, and District 5160, are committed to protecting the safety and well-being of all youth program participants and will not tolerate their abuse or harassment. All allegations of abuse or harassment will be taken seriously and must be handled at outlined in our policies and utilizing the reporting guidelines outlined in the documents linked below.

The safety and well-being of young people must always be our first priority.  At our orientations with all students (Inbound and Outbound students), and trainings with YEOs, Counselors, and Host Families, we provide detailed information regarding our District’s policies and practices in this area and emphasize that this is for EVERYONE’s safety and well-being.

Travel Policy

In addition, students must submit the Request for Student Travel Form (link below) AND receive approval from the Youth Exchange Committee before booking out of state travel and air travel.

Student Photos

A plethora of rules exist in general regarding publishing photos of minors, but Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) students have unique situations. Each district is tasked by Rotary International (RI) with developing policies and positions on many aspects of administering their programs, including the use of photos and social media. The District 5160 Youth Exchange Committee manages this under the District Governor’s oversight as well as both Western States Student Exchange Inc (WESSEX) and Rotary’s North American Youth Exchange Network (NAYEN) policies and positions. Please note: If you find any difference in our content and other districts’ websites (which may vary widely) you must default to the rules presented by District 5160.

District 5160 Rotary Youth Exchange committee has the following best practice guidelines for sharing photos and for posting photos within the context of meeting the 4-way test and not depicting any “Ds” (Drinking, Drugs, Driving, Dating, Disfigurement, Disrespect & Smoking) by students:

• The US Department of Justice (DOJ) mandates that photos with student names can NOT be used for promotional purposes.
• Photos WITHOUT last names but including first names can be used for official RYE and Rotary club newsletters and announcements, ie “Byron, 2019-20 Inbound from Spain is welcomed by his Woodland Rotary club counselor and host family”. Please see the August 2019 District 5160 RYE newsletter on the Dist 5160 RYE website as an example of this.
• Unofficial emails sharing appropriate photos (informal fun, club contact/events w student, DG celebration/party, fun non-Rotary events, vocational observation, cultural experiences fellowship opportunities, group photos…) with community members, i.e. private correspondence within our Rotary District can include names.
• Social media – appropriate photos (i.e. passing 4-way test, showing positive exchange experiences and no “Ds” or even the appearance of “Ds”!) WITHOUT student names can be posted on social media. Adults (including any Rotarian or host family members) CANNOT tag photos with names; however, the RYE students themselves can tag photos.
• When in doubt – DON”T use names

Please note: The students are told that if they post something prohibited or involving a D (such as holding an alcoholic-looking drink or getting a “fake” tattoo), even in jest, the Committee has taken a the stance of “if you post it, you did it”.

The committee responds to Rotarians, and other adults, who may be unknowingly sharing photos with names or with inappropriate subjects with corrective information.