Bend Belluno Sister Cities Cultural Exchange
BEN ARRIVATA DI EVENTI SCAMBI METTE IN EVIDENZA CONTATTO
First Student-Parent information night at Coats Campus Center on COCC campus in Bend.
The Summer Vacation - That Lasts a Life Time
Bend-Belluno short-term cross-cultural exchange has been successful in introducing high school juniors to a different culture and a “wider world view”. Over the past ten years, 89 students have participated in this unique cross-cultural exchange that has at its center a reciprocal and equal relationship.
mate and our host family the various moments of everyday life, being treated as part of an extended family."
Maria continues " "During the long time we spent with each other, there were obviously ups and downs, however the moments of struggling turned out to be crucial to everyone's growth path, both on a personal and cultural level".
One direct benefit that we see every year is the friendship and new cultural knowledge that the students have gained with their six-week shared summer experience. And a strong indirect benefit is the relationship that the host parents quickly develop and maintain with the exchange student. We are seeing that students have developed lifelong friendships often with their matched student but sometimes even stronger with host parents, brothers/sisters.
The Bend-Belluno short-term cross-cultural exchange is a collaborative effort between the Bella Bend Beautiful Belluno sister city organizations and the Rotary Clubs of Bend and Belluno.
2025 Summer Youth Exchange
Are you thinking about living as an Italian in Belluno this summer?
Tentative information for 2025
Maria Costan Davara, from Belluno, who was part of the 2017 cross-cultural exchange, writes, "The experience was divided into two different parts: during the first one, which took place in Belluno, we had the chance to introduce our mates to our wonderful Dolomiti landscapes, our local delicacies and our traditions, letting them become part of our daily lives; in the second part we flew to our mates' homeland and we became visitors in their places. Where . . . . we shared with our exchange
For questions and further information, contact:
Laurel Fishkin laurel.ballard@yahoo.com
Sonya Hutchinson sonyamhutch@icloud.com
2025 Youth Exchange
Bend Belluno Sister Cities Cultural Exchange
This summer, high school students from Bend will be able to participate in a seven-week cross-cultural exchange. They will experience life as part of a family in our Italian sister city of Belluno. This is a reciprocal exchange; Bend students stay with a Belluno family for 3 weeks and then host with their family an Italian student from Belluno for 3 weeks in Bend.
This short-term international cultural exchange program matches youth from Bend into an Italian home with an exchange brother or sister, but this is not a tourist sightseeing trip. The highlight of this international exchange is living and being part of an Italian family and culture.
Why Belluno, Italy?
As sister cities, we have had the opportunity to visit and develop friendships with citizens of Belluno.
This will be the third summer of short-term student exchange.
Just 45 minutes from Venice and at the foot of the Dolomites - many similarities to Bend
Belluno, like Bend, is a safe community with a very low crime rate but very few tourists.
Belluno is known as the “Citta delle Bambini” - a city full of “Italian Mothers” - “you know the ones who will never let their kids out of the house on a chilly day without a hat, scarf and coat.”
If you want to experience daily life in an Italian family and be part of our sister city of Belluno, and share Bend and our culture with an Italian student then this program is for you
Summer 2025 Time Frame
Belluno, Italy
During the third week of June, travel with four other students from Bend to Venice, Italy, where you’ll be greeted and driven to your Italian home for the next three weeks. Expect some group activities and adventures to learn and experience living in Belluno plus hiking in the Dolomites.
Bend, Oregon
During the second week of July return home with the Bend team. Within the next few days your exchange brother/sister will arrive and will be hosted by you and your family, sharing Central Oregon for the next three weeks. Again expect some group activities and adventures with the entire Bend/Belluno youth team including a volunteer project.
Next Steps
Contact members of the 2025 Bend-Belluno Rotary Summer Exchange committee to announce your interest. We will attempt to meet with you and your parents to discuss this opportunity with you in more detail.
Application and Selection Process
● Applications are due in late December. When you complete the information, it should be as complete as possible with the following guidance. We do not need medical and dental information at this point; the most important part is the background information and the two letters (your letter and your parent(s)’ letter to your prospective host/host family). This is where you tell them about yourself, your talents, interests, and experiences, as well as challenges and/or dislikes. This and your interview are the primary information we use to help match you with an Italian student.
● Interviews will be scheduled in January 2025.
● Our goal is to select six students for this summer, ideally three girls and three boys. This, of course,
will depend on matching the applicants from Belluno.
● Once decisions have been made on applications, you will be notified. Bruce Abernethy will reach
out to selected applicants to begin the hosting portion of the exchange application (background
check, home visit, etc.)
Matching
● Starting in late January 2025, we will exchange accepted applications with our counterparts in
Belluno and work directly with them to find the best matches, based on the information gathered
from the applications and interviews.
● We expect to have the matching process completed by mid-February.
Welcome Meeting
● After matching is completed, we will have our first meeting as a group. You’ll meet the other
students you will be traveling with and their parents, plus hear from a few students that went last
year.
● This is a critical meeting for students and parents. We will bring you up to date on plans for
this year’s exchange and discuss traveling as a Rotary Youth Ambassador.
● We will try to schedule the meeting in February or another date close to that and will do
our best to accommodate everyone’s schedules.
● We will also go over any missing paperwork and check on the status of home visits at this time.
Bruce Abernethy will have already contacted you by that time, and we will try to close the loop on
anything that is still required.
● At the end of this meeting, you will be “introduced” to your match.
Italian Language and Culture Classes
● As in the last few years, we expect these classes to be taught by Christina Cappy through the
Bend Language Institute. Even if your student has some knowledge of the Italian language, the
classes will be highly beneficial as an opportunity to get to know the other students and to learn
about Italian customs and culture.
● Classes will be held weekly for 7-8 weeks. In the past we have found that holding classes early
Sunday evening is generally the most convenient time for most students, but we will determine what
works best for this group.
Travel
● Tentatively, Bend students will depart from Redmond the week following the end of school and return about mid-July.
● Belluno students will arrive around mid-July and return to Italy in the middle of August.
● We will be booking and monitoring travel through our Rotary travel office.
● Once our ticketing agent has confirmed reservations for the group, you’ll need to purchase your
ticket directly through them ASAP, but definitely within 24 hours.
Cost
● The $500 fee to Rotary covers travel insurance, background checks, processing, etc.
● Based on last year’s cost, the Italian language and culture classes will be about $500 per
student, half of which will be subsidized by Rotary, leaving a balance of $250 per student.
● Roundtrip airfare to Venice in June is now roughly $1,600 to $2,000, but of course this cost
will be subject to the current pricing when ticketed.
Finally, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact any member of our committee. We are excited about this opportunity for you to learn and grow through cross-cultural exchange. Good luck in being selected to put your best foot forward in representing Bend in our new sister city of Belluno, Italy.