The New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club is an active participant and supporter of the the Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) program.  The Group Study Exchange is for young professionals all over the world and its purpose is to promote international understanding, goodwill and peace.

  The GSE program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

 

In a typical four-week tour, applicants participate in five full days of vocational visits, 15 to 20 club presentations, 10 to 15 formal visits and social events, two to three days at the district conference, three to four hours per day of cultural and site tours, and three to four hours per day of free time with host families.

 

For each team member, the Foundation provides the most economical round-trip airline ticket between the home and host countries. Rotarians in the host area provide for meals, lodging, and group travel within their district.  The New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club actively supports this program through contributions to the Foundation, and by hosting GSE team members visiting New Bern and the surrounding area.  New Bern Breakfast Club members welcome GSE team members into their homes and arrange vocational visits to business and government agencies matching the vocational interest of each GSE team member.

 

Individuals who participate in this rewarding, once-in-a-lifetime experience return home with a broadened cultural perspective and new understanding of a nation's history, language, commerce, and government.  GSE offers a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills, work on team building, and increase self-confidence.  The program is designed to have an invaluable impact on the career of a young professional in the increasingly global workplace by creating network opportunities and lifelong friendships.

 

If you are interested in this program, please contact a New Bern Breakfast Club member.  You can also find more information here:

Rotary International Website