The Relationship with a student and counselor is critical to an exchange students year. 1 and 7 students report they do not have more than 2 contacts with their counselor during their exchange. Join us to discuss how are clubs preparing and working with their counselors to ensure a productive and helpful year with their students. How do you as a club strengthen this relationship? Facilitators: Kimberly Armitage, Walter Weidenholzer, and Dr. George Sundararaj

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Strengthening the
Student-Counselor
Relationship

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George Sundararaj District 3202, India.
Kimberly Armitage- District 5450, USA
Colorado
Walter Weidenholzer District1920
Austria - Europe
Presenters

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1 and 7
students report
only talking to
their Counselor
twice
throughout the
Exchange year!

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• What Youth Exchange is & is not
• Their Role and Expectations
• Club Expectations
• Student Expectations
What we think Counselors already know

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• Supportive
• Good with young people
• Good listener
What qualities are good in a Club
Counselor

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• Show appreciation for the student
• Educate them on expectations
• Club must initiate communication between host
parent/Counselor and the incoming students before
they actually arrive.
• Club to include the Counselor to inspect the
available infrastructure in the host home.
• Periodic meeting of the YE committee, Counselor,
and host parent.
• Club to supervise the implementation of the
Counselor's suggestions and recommendations.
• Provide them with gift cards to use with the student
How to help the Counselor (Club
responsibilities)

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• Personal fulfillment of helping a student
experience an incredible year
• Increase respect for people from different
backgrounds
• A sense of community
• Personal satisfaction they have shared their
abilities and time in a positive way
• Being a change agent and part of a solution
Benefits to the Counselor

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• Helps increase your interaction with youth
• Helps understand verbal and verbal cues
• Can reduce cultural prejudices for you and the
youth
• Help support the youth in their host cultural
appropriately
• Respect the students viewpoint and have them
understand the difference with in there host
cultural
Counselors being culturally competent

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Have the student create list of things they want to
do and see in the area:
• Go on bike rides
• Bowling
• Out door hikes
• Museums
• Amusement parks
Encourage other Club members to also get
involved with the student
Activity ideas
• Shopping
• Historic sites
• Zoos
• Gardens
• etc

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• Be Real
• Be Yourself
• Be Culturally Sensitive
• Be Nonjudgmental
• Be a Guide
• Be Dependable
The B’s for Counselors
B’s for Students
• Be First
• Be Curious
• Be on Purpose
• Be Grateful
• Be of Service
• Be Here Now

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Dos and Don’ts of a Counselor
Do
• Same gender as the
student
• Has Time
• Meets with student
minimum monthly
• Greet them at the airport
• See them in person
• Helps with school, setting
up bank accounts, etc
• Answers questions
• Ensures they get to Rotary
Don’ts
• Member of the host
family
• The Club President
or YEO
• Communicate
through technology
or social media
only
• Ignores the student
or is too busy to
meet

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• Provide them with gift cards to use with the student
• Show appreciation for the student
• Educate them on the Club’s expectations and past
experience
• Club must initiate communication between host
parent/Counselor and the incoming students before they
actually arrive.
• Club to include the Counselor to inspect the available
infrastructure in the host home.
• Periodic meeting of the YE committee Counselor and
host parent.
• Club to supervise the implementation of the Counselor's
suggestions and recommendations.•
How to help the Counselor (Club
responsibilities)

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• Learn the host language
• Know the b’s
• The Youth Exchange student must attend the
Club meetings and take part in the service
activities.
• The student must be involved with the projects
of the Rotaractors and the Interactors.
• The student should also be included in the inter-
Club and district programs pertaining to Youth
service and be involved in speaking
engagements, entertainment and fun activities
Student Expectations

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• Supported by someone who will give them
unconditional positive support
• Witnessing struggles and offers advice
• Help the student with goal sitting
• Provide consistency as they move between
families
• Builds trust for the student
• Creates a safe place for the student to express
their feelings in a positive manner
• Increases interaction in the host families
Benefits for the student with an
engaged Counselor

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• Handout
• Understanding culture
Activity to help you choose a Counselor

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Hope you join us at
NAYEN next March

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Questions
March 14-16, 2019