Big Bear students hoping to travel overseas as part of their high school education need look no further than Big Bear’s Rotary Club.
According to Rotarian Dick Shaw, who manages the program, Big Bear has welcomed at least one — sometimes up to three — international students every school year since the 1970s. And just as Rotary welcomes students from abroad, BBHS students can also travel the world as part of the program. In fact, BBHS junior Brianna Franco just left for a year in Japan as part of a Rotary exchange.
“I wish more kids would do it,” Shaw said. “They benefit in so many ways. They will be fluent in a foreign language, and they will make friends from all over the world.”
Big Bear Lake’s Rotary Club is in a district with 62 other Rotary clubs, and that district is one of six in Southern California. Decades ago, according to Shaw, these districts banded together to create a corporation to facilitate the youth exchange process.
That body is known as SCANEX, and it now includes more than 500 Rotary districts throughout Nevada, Hawaii, Arizona and Utah.
The local Rotary chapters within SCANEX work to match students with other districts worldwide who are accepting students. For instance, SCANEX could decide to accept four students from Spain, and in exchange, four other students within the SCANEX area will be sent over. In that sense, participating students don’t always know for sure which country they will go to — just that they’re in for the adventure of a lifetime.
Students pay a flat fee of $5,500 to participate in the program. This includes airfare, homestay-style room and board, insurance, two mandatory overnight orientations in Los Angeles and Simi Valley, and an allowance of $100 per month as part of their one-year stay.
“That is by far the least expensive of exchange student programs out there,” Shaw said.
“I also believe it’s the best. The reason I say that is because you have like-minded people on both sides of the ocean who are doing their utmost to make it a successful exchange.”
According to Shaw, students do not need to be Rotary members to participate in the program, and there is typically no limit on the number of students Big Bear can send abroad each year.
Non-Rotary families are also welcome to host students visiting Big Bear. Traditionally, Rotary likes for students to stay in three different homes throughout their exchange period to ensure a varied experience, and the stay is often as meaningful to the host family as it is to the visiting student.
“From day one, being a host family for an exchange student from Belgium was a rewarding experience for our whole family,” said Jenny Hollenbaugh, who hosted visiting Belgian student Adele in the 2022-23 school year.
“The time went by way too fast, but we knew that it was just the beginning of a lifetime friendship with tons of memories and that we gained a new family member.”
Students interested in participating can reach out to Shaw via the Rotary Club of Big Bear Lake for an online application. According to Shaw, the process is lengthy. It includes required essays from both students and parents, as well as dental and physical exams. Shaw notes that students may express a preference for a “first choice” host country, but as noted above, they don’t always get their first choice.
“The deal isn’t about the country you attend,” Shaw said. “It’s about being an exchange student and maturing at an unbelievable pace. It’s about becoming a citizen of the world. It’s amazing.”
Students must be between 15 and 18 1/2 years old to participate. Some countries will accept students who have already graduated. In that case the student will essentially repeat their senior year as a student in their host country.
The international student exchange program is one of many programs organized by Rotary throughout the area. Others include delivering stockings during the holidays, providing dental checkups in local elementary schools and sending students to Rotary’s Youth leadership Awards.
Rotary meets Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at The Elks Lodge at 40611 Village Drive. For more information, visit bigbearlakerotary.org.
