Every year over 8,000 Rotary exchanges happen around the world. Rotary International is the largest and oldest service organization in the world. Its overall mission is to build bridges of friendship, tolerance and understanding to make the world a more peaceful place in which to live. Rotary volunteers donate their time and resources to help improve their local communities. The RYE program provides an opportunity for outstanding students from all walks of life to study abroad for an academic year, with the local Rotary Club underwriting most of the costs. The selected students are responsible for their airline tickets, visas, and a administrative fee to Rotary. Once the student is abroad, they receive a monthly allowance from the hosting rotary and all room and board is taken care of by the hosting family.