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Elkins Rotary Club talks about ways to impact local youth

ELKINS — On Monday, Elkins Rotary Club members learned about the countless ways Rotary Club can impact young people, including the Rotary’s Youth Exchange program and the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA).

Co-chairs of Rotary’s Youth Exchange, Dennis Shreve and JR Wolfe, stopped by Elkins to discuss how the exchange program operates and its benefits.

Currently, the district’s exchange program is hosting five individuals who hail from France, Peru, Brazil and Japan.

“Five is kind of more than we have normally had, so I kind of enjoyed that. It’s nice to have that many students in,” Shreve said. “I’d love to have six or eight if we could find host sponsors and host clubs …”

He further explained Rotary offers a short-term and long-term exchange experience for those interested. The short-term program is roughly two weeks to a month, and according to Shreve is ideal for those hesitant of spending 11 months out of the country.

“The long-term program in which a student goes overseas for basically 11 months and stays in the country and learns the language and learns the culture and all of the that,” he said. “The short-term program, I see more as a vacation, and the long-term experience is more of a cultural exchange where you learn all kinds of things about the country and about the family you’re staying with.”

Wolfe spoke highly about the exchange program, saying the program is life changing for a young person.

“There’s really no single thing you can do for a young person that will have more impact on their life then to get them involved in the exchange program,” Wolfe said. “It’ll be a very positive impact. You send a kid out and you get a young adult back.”

Shreve also spoke about RYLA, an event that occurs in mid-May at Jackson’s Mill. While at Jackson’s Mill, individuals from the area gather to participate in leadership activities.

This past RYLA event, Shreve explained 85 participants took part in the Stop Hunger program, in which over 10,000 meals were packaged to be delivered to those in third world countries.

“I remember the years when we only averaged about 30 students, but we been having now the last three or four years between 80 and 90 students,” he said. “I think the program itself is really getting a great reputation. We have a lot of schools that call us up now and say ‘Hey, can we send a student?'”

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