Doing Good; Serious Fun!
Prior Lake, MN 55372
United States
PHOTOS (Upper left and clockwise): Oksana and Angie with event emcee and Past District Governor Ben Bauer; PDG Kyle Haugen at one of his sessions with the DGNs; Oksana, Angie, and Kyle with Past Rotary International President Jennifer Jones; the full Leadership Development group photo

Rotary Youth Exchange is celebrating 50 years as a program of Rotary International! The Prior Lake Rotary Club has participated since 1982! It's been said, if every student went on Youth Exchange, there would be no wars. For a program like this to happen, we need host families. To be a host family to a Rotary Youth Exchange student can be a leap of faith, and most often turns into an opportunity of a lifetime! That's been the experience for many families that have participated. Opening up your home shows kindness and generosity, and is a life-changing gift—not only for the student, but for the host family as well. And here is the interesting part; host parents do not need to be Rotarians.
Kyle and Kari Donnay and their family were such a family as neither are Rotarians. They hosted Carlos from Spain in 2024. When asked why they decided to host, Kari stated, "As a child we hosted a student and I have super fond memories of that experience. I wanted our kids to have the same thing." On the hosting experience, Kari shared, "I am a connector by nature and I love making the world feel a little smaller. Hosting Carlos helped us connect with more people in our community and now we have a family in Spain, who we got to spend time with this summer."
This year’s student is Julius from Lithuania. He is 16 years old, enjoys all sports, and loves to cook. We are still looking for families to host him this year. So what is required of a host family?
- a private bedroom (or a shared bedroom with no more than one of your own children of the same gender)
- a desire for an exchange student to become part of your family for usually 3-4 months
- a willingness to help an exchange student learn English and immerse themselves in American culture
The Prior Lake Rotary Club and North Star Rotary Youth Exchange, the organization that coordinates the exchanges, provide much support for host families and the student. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact our Youth Exchange Officer Bill Schult at billmaxpo@gmail.com, or (651) 303-4194.
Host families make all the difference. Together, we can ensure more students experience the life-changing power of Rotary Youth Exchange.
Photo: Julius (center) from Lithuania was met at the airport by host mom Leah Cook, Club Counselor Cindy Shepard, Youth Exchange Officer Bill Schult, and host sister Sydney.
Prior Lake Rotary Club, P.O. Box 271, Prior Lake, MN 55372




