After this Rotary year, New Generations Service Exchange will no longer be an official Rotary International program. That means that Rotary International will discontinue supporting this program in July 2024. But this doesn’t mean that service exchanges will end. We encourage districts to continue planning and hosting exchanges through their own New Generations Service Exchange programs. The main change is that Rotary International will no longer offer a directory of New Generations Service Exchange chairs.
How can districts continue to plan and host service exchanges for young adults ages 18-30?
Your district can continue to plan and host New Generations Service Exchanges in many of the ways you do now! Maintain your current contacts in partnering districts, and approach new potential partners through district governors.
You can also consider merging your district’s New Generations Service Exchange program with your Rotary Friendship Exchange program to pool your resources and expand your network of exchange partners. Just like New Generations Service Exchange, Rotary Friendship Exchange plans customizable intercultural experiences. These exchanges are open to nonmembers and members and can be designed to combine service with work toward professional goals and personal growth. The main difference between these programs has been the age groups they’re intended for: New Generations Service Exchange has accepted participants ages 18-30, while Rotary Friendship Exchange is open to anyone 18 or older. So, of course, Rotary Friendship Exchange experiences can be tailored to young adult participants' needs and interests.
Finally, if your district doesn’t already have a Rotary Friendship Exchange program, or if it just doesn’t yet have a Rotary Friendship Exchange committee chair for next year, it could appoint the current New Generations Service Exchange chair to that role. This can help your district maintain a network of districts that facilitate similar exchanges.
Learn more about Rotary Friendship Exchange, and contact your district governor if you’d like to discuss chair appointments.
What is the status of NGSE participants?
All past, current, and future NGSE participants are still considered Rotary International program alumni. RI alumni opportunities will remain accessible to them, and districts are encouraged to maintain engagement with NGSE alumni.
How and why was this decision made?
To serve our members, participants, and communities as effectively and meaningfully as possible, Rotary members and staff work together to periodically consider why we offer each of our programs and whether they align with Rotary’s Action Plan. Reviewing our programs in light of that plan helps us move Rotary in the direction that members and participants have asked for. Rotary’s Action Plan asks us to increase our impact, which means using our resources to maximize the difference our members make.
When we review Rotary programs, we apply objective, uniform criteria that help us determine whether each program aligns with Rotary’s strategic priorities and objectives, whether we can implement the program with the resources that are available, and whether other organizations offer similar programs more effectively.
The decision to discontinue New Generations Service Exchange as an official RI program does not mean that it is not important, that it is not effective, or that it is not aligned with our strategy. In fact, the evaluation process revealed that it is strongly aligned with our organizational priorities but also that it does not require extensive support from Rotary International to have a positive and powerful impact on participants, hosts, Rotary members, and our communities. Since the program was implemented in 2012, districts worldwide have created incredibly successful programs with little support from RI. That is why we are recommending that districts that wish to continue their New Generations Service Exchange work do so, by using their existing Rotary networks; connecting to others, such as the Rotary Friendship Exchange network; and exploring new ways to connect with, communicate with, and collaborate with others.
Email youngleaders@rotary.org with questions about this change. For Rotary Friendship Exchange questions, email rotary.service@rotary.org.