Rotary International
Key to Know: Rotary International sponsors the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program.
Overview Rotary International is a collection of service clubs located all over the world, well known as Rotary Clubs. Their stated purpose is “to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.” It is a secular organization which is open to everyone without regard to race, color, creed, gender, or politics. There are 33,976 clubs with more than 1.22 million members worldwide. The members of Rotary Clubs are known as Rotarians. They typically meet each week for a meal, enjoying a social event as well as an opportunity to organize work on their service goals.
Exchanges and Scholarships Some of Rotary's most visible programs include Rotary Youth Exchange, a student exchange program for students in secondary education, and the Rotary Foundation's oldest program, Ambassadorial Scholarships. Today, there are six different types of Rotary Scholarships. More than 38,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad under the auspices of Ambassadorial Scholarship, and today it is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. In 2006-07 grants totaling approximately US$15 million were used to award some 800 scholarships to recipients from 69 countries who studied in 64 nations.
Rotary Fellowships Rotary Fellowships paid by the foundation launched in honor of Paul Harris in 1947, specialize in providing graduate fellowships around the world, usually in countries other than their own in order to provide international exposure and experience to the recipient. Recently, a new program was established known as the Rotary peace and Conflict Resolution program which provides funds for two years of graduate study in one of eight universitites around the world. Rotary is naming about seventy five of these scholars each year. The applications for these scholarships are found on line but each application must be endorsed by a local Rotary Club. Children and other close relatives of Rotarians are not eligible.
