扶輪青少年交換學生興奮地展示收集全球各國的徽章。

Rotary Youth Exchange students show their spirit with pins from across the globe.

瑞典馬爾摩──丹麥教育部長哈德(Bertel Haarde)r 說扶輪青少年交換計畫是個傑出計畫。哈德是在瑞典馬爾摩（Malmö ）的Konserthuset， 在扶輪青少年交換年會前會議上向來自45 個國家將近400 位扶輪青少年交換計畫職員致詞。

Malmö, Sweden — Rotary Youth Exchange is an outstanding program, said Denmark's minister of education, Bertel Haarder. In the Konserthuset in Malmö, Sweden, Haarder spoke before a crowd of nearly 400 Rotary Youth Exchange Officers from some 45 countries during the group's annual preconvention meeting.

扶輪青少年交換計畫成立於75 年前，是扶輪在全球許多國家最為人熟知的計畫之一。根據丹麥政府最近一份調查顯示， 該計畫在丹麥執行得十分成功。

Founded more than 75 years ago, Rotary Youth Exchange is one of Rotary's most recognizable programs in many communities around the world. And in Denmark, it also is highly successful, according to a recent government survey there.

哈德在會中致詞時說，丹麥的交換學生認為就整體經驗、寄宿家庭及準備工作而言，扶輪青少年交換計畫是同類型計畫中最好的。

In his keynote address, Haarder reported that exchange students in Denmark rated Rotary Youth Exchange the best program of its kind in terms of overall experience, host families, and preparation.

哈德說：「扶輪在這項調查中遙遙領先。」

"Rotary is at the very top of the list," Haarder said.

雖然該計畫在丹麥及許多國家顯然非常成功，它在全球仍得面對來自各方的挑戰。扶輪社必須吸引極有潛力的學生參加， 寄宿家庭也必須做好準備提供跨國的文化經驗，扶輪社則必須盡力瞭解現今的青少年文化。

Despite the program's obvious successes here and in many parts of the world, global challenges remain. Rotary clubs need to attract and prepare students with strong potential. In addition, families need to be well-prepared for the intercultural experience. And Rotary clubs need to strive to understand today's youth culture.

今日的青少年

Teens of today

有兩場令人耳目一新的演講促使扶輪社員重新思考，彼此討論。在第一場演說中， 社會學家簡森（Jesper Bo Jensen） 分析現今青少年的特性， 及一些令人擔憂的變化。簡森說現今的青少年很喜歡呼朋引伴， 歸屬的團體人數可多達200 人，但是多透過科技進行溝通，如手機、網路聊天室、個人網頁及線上遊戲。但是有些線上活動讓寄宿家庭及父母很擔心。

Two eye-opening presentations got Rotarians thinking and talking. In the first, sociologist Jesper Bo Jensen profiled the teens of today as well as talked about some alarming trends. Jensen said that today's teens are very gregarious, belonging to large groups of up to 200, but communicate mainly through technology such as cell phones, Internet chat rooms, personal pages, and online games. Some types of online communities, however, concern both host families and birth parents.

丹麥Ilkast 扶輪社的柯克（Simon Kirk） 在第二場演講中說：「扶輪社員知道如何建立人脈網絡， 我們可以幫助年輕人找到有益的人脈網絡。」柯克呼籲青少年交換計畫職員檢視交換計畫如何與現今及明日的青少年保持連動，他說在學生的期望與寄宿國家的真實情況間取得平衡極為重要。

"Rotarians know how to build networks, and we can help young people find good ones,"said Simon Kirk, of the Rotary Club of Ilkast, Denmark, in the second talk. Kirk urged officers to examine how the exchange program can stay relevant to the youth of today and tomorrow. Balancing students' expectations with the realities of the host country is critical, he said.

此外， 職員也討論該計畫新的認證流程、替代方案、危機處理及招收新血的策略。參與人員激盪出更好的想法， 讓扶輪青少年交換計畫在扶輪的第二個世紀繼續前進。

In addition, officers discussed the program's new certification process, alternative exchange projects, dealing with crises, and recruiting strategies. Participants emerged with better tools to keep Rotary Youth Exchange moving forward in Rotary's second century.

國際扶輪社長施當恆非常支持青少年交換計畫， 但是因為同時間國際扶輪召開理事會議，他無法前來，但是送來一分書面賀詞。

RI President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar, an enthusiastic Youth Exchange supporter, was unable to attend due to a concurrent RI Board meeting, but sent a written statement.

這篇文稿說：「青少年交換計畫讓世界瞥見一個沒有衝突、沒有戰爭的未來。我深信這個計畫是扶輪重建世界和平最完美的解決方案之一。」

"Youth Exchange shows the world a glimpse of a future without conflict, without war, "Stenhammar's statement read. "I believe deeply that this program is one of Rotary's best solutions to building world peace."