Rotary District 7570 Group Study Exchange team has landed in Trinidad

The Rotary District 7570 Group Study Exchange Team has arrived in Rotary District 7030 in the Southern Caribbean.  The team will visit the countries of Trinidad & Tobago, Martinique, Suriname, and Guyana from March 31, 2018-May 2, 2018.  Follow Team Leader, Paula Knoll Alston and members Doug Sexton, Jessica Maria Arrington, Tyler Conley, Zachary Smith on their travels by liking their Facebook group page “GSE Team Rotary District 7570 to District 7030.” The four team members were chosen among dozens of applicants through an intensive interview process and have been meeting for many months in preparation for the trip.  Doug Sexton, who is head of GIS for the County of Warren is representing the Front Royal Rotary Club in the exchange.  Check out the map he created that showcases the districts – click here.

District 7030 is home of some of the world’s most diverse and vibrant Rotary Clubs in the Southern Caribbean. With over 2,000 Rotarians in 70 Clubs in 14 Counties, District 7030 covers a diverse geography and encompasses a variety of cultures and languages – Here’s the link to their Facebook page.  Learn more about Virginia’s Rotary District 7570 by visiting their website at and like the Front Royal Rotary’s Facebook page.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM *

The Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women in their initial years of professional life. Rotary districts in different countries are paired to send and receive professional study groups of four to six non-Rotarian team members and one Rotarian team leader to travel for four to six weeks, staying in the homes of Rotarians when possible.

Launched in 1965, this dynamic program has built a successful track record at the personal, community, and international level. With good planning, a goal-driven itinerary, and active participation of dedicated Rotarians, a GSE can be an exceptional educational experience for both the visiting GSE team and local Rotarians.

Goals and Objectives

The GSE program is designed to develop professional and leadership skills among young adults, so that they can address the needs of their communities and an increasingly global workplace. GSE participants follow an extensive and rigorous program of international travel and team activities.

• Vocational visits

— Provide opportunities to observe vocations as practiced in another country

— Impact team members’ long-term careers through exchange of ideas in their respective fields

• Cultural experiences

— Allow participants to study another country and its people, language, and institutions through experiences in an organized and meaningful host program

— Promote an appreciation of cultural diversity worldwide

• Fellowship opportunities

— Encourage team members and hosts to meet, communicate, and live with each other in a spirit of fellowship and goodwill

— Consider each other’s problems, aspirations, and community concerns

— Foster lasting friendships and international understanding

• Rotarian involvement

— Offers Rotarians specific, practical, and meaningful opportunities for international service by providing young, formative professionals a different perspective of their vocation in another country and culture

*Information from the Facebook Group Page