Connecting exchange experience with Rotary service

The Rotary Club of Global Exchange and Connections District 1820 brings together former Rotary Youth Exchange students from around the world. The club aims to draw on its members’ international experience, cultural perspectives and networks to strengthen Rotary Youth Exchange and promote international understanding, friendship and peace.

A central ambition is to explore how the club can contribute to and strengthen Rotary Youth Exchange, working in collaboration with Rotary clubs, districts and students. The club also aims to create new opportunities for international connection and Rotary service, building on the diverse experiences, perspectives and networks of its members.

The club’s 20 founding members come from 16 countries across six continents and first met as Rotary Youth Exchange students more than 30 years ago in 1995. Their friendships have continued through reunions big and small around the world, including the first larger reunion in Budapest in 2006 and the 30-year reunion in Lisbon in 2025. These lasting connections demonstrate the impact that Rotary Youth Exchange can have across countries, cultures and generations – and form the foundation for the club’s ambition to give something back to Rotary and to future generations of exchange students.