Rotary Youth Exchange builds peace, one student at a time. It is one of the oldest and largest international study exchange programs for high school students, who serve as cultural ambassadors. Students are immersed in the culture of another country, and they gain fluency in a new language. What the program offers to and asks of participants — an openness to new ideas and experiences, a willingness to adapt and to gain new perspectives, and an opportunity to make new friends and learn new ways of living — are the same values that define Rotary itself.

Rotary recognizes and honors students and teachers who are making an impact. The STAR program honors Georgia’s highest-achieving high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. The purpose of the program is threefold: 1) to recognize academic achievement in Georgia’s high schools and to motivate students to be good scholars and high achievers; 2) to honor excellence in teaching, to promote teaching as a career, and to encourage outstanding teachers to remain in the classroom; and 3) to demonstrate the business community’s commitment to excellence in education and to increase interaction between students and the business community.

Rotary supports character education in schools through the Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest. Students select their own “law of life”—a saying or quotation that points to a core personal value or ideal--and write about how the “law” applies to their lives. In doing so, students reflect deeply and write from the heart about what they think matters most. The contest celebrates the students’ stories and their often profound reflections, and offers significant cash awards to students and teachers.