ROTARY DISTRICT 5440
COWBOY COUNTRY YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
Youth Protection Policy Page


Youth protection is the core of the youth exchange program.  At its simplest we want to provide a safe and secure environment for all youth exchange participants. The long-term exchange program falls under the U.S. Department of State's public diplomacy program.  As such it is carefully regulated with youth protection being a foremost consideration in those regulations.

There are several youth protection resources available in the downloads on the left hand side of the page. 
  • The Youth Protection Policy is District 5440's policy (Approved September 17, 2021). 
  • The Crisis Management Plan provides the appropriate contacts and procedures in the event of any kind of crisis involving a student.  (Revised April 2022)
  • The Emergency Services Contact Form is a resource that club youth exchange officers complete and is provided to inbound exchange students prior to their arrival so they have the necessary contact information before a crisis occurs.
  • The RI Youth Protection Guide is a guidance document from Rotary International to Districts on how to set up their youth protection and crisis management documents.
  • The RI Abuse and Harassment Training Manual is Rotary International's abuse and harassment prevention training manual and leader’s guide for training volunteers.
  • The RI Youth Protection Code of Policies is a resource to provide a better understanding of Rotary International's policies.
It is important to note that the vast majority of youth exchange students never experience any kind of crisis and Rotarians work very hard to prevent problems of any kind.  These policies allow us to respond quickly in the rare instance when a problem arises. Please contact the District Chairman if you have any questions on youth protection.

Pursuant to Rotary International's adopted policies on the protection of participants in Rotary Youth Exchange activities, all volunteers who participate in this program must receive training that includes information on program administration and rules and abuse and harassment awareness and prevention.  Training shall be provided under the direction of the Cowboy Country Youth Exchange Chairman using training materials provided by D5440, CCYE and Rotary International.

The Department of State may be reached at 1-866-283-9090 or jvisas@state.gov by host families, exchange students and the public to report circumstances impacting the students' health, safety and well being during their exchange visitor programs.