CAMDEN — Midcoast high school students aged aged 15 to 18 have the opportunity to travel abroad next summer as part of Rotary International’s family-to-family short-term exchange program (STEP).

As an international service organization, Rotary has been running exchange programs since the 1920s through its worldwide network of local clubs. The involvement of Rotary volunteers makes STEP an affordable, high-quality program. Participating students and families cover travel costs, spending money, reasonably priced insurance and a modest administrative fee.

Each STEP applicant is matched with a student in the country of their choice. Once a match has been made and accepted by both students, their families can arrange travel to suit their respective schedules. In most cases, students spend three to five weeks in each country. While in Maine, students from abroad enjoy being part of ordinary family life and have the usual adventures offered by a Maine summer.

In recent years, students from Maine have chosen Japan, Turkey, England, Spain, France, Belgium and Italy from the more than 20 destinations available on the STEP program. Experiencing a different country has enabled them to see firsthand the accomplishments and challenges of another culture while seeing new places, polishing their language skills and creating strong personal connections with their host families.

Information about Rotary exchange can be found at www.exchangestudent.org. For further details, contact Joan Phaup at (207) 557-1181 or email joan@phaup.net