The Rotary Club of Oak Park - River Forest is a member of Rotary International, one of the first humanitarian organizations, and is a part of over 34,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 200 counties and geographical areas with 1.2 million members worldwide. Our club's membership includes men and women who are leaders in the fields of business, education, non-profit organizations, government, and many other vocations who enjoy doing good in the world.
The Oak Park - River Forest club was established in 1920 and we have about 60 current members who meet regularly for fellowship. Our club has a strong history of fundraising in support of both our local communities and the work of other Rotarians around the world. We distribute $25,000 annually in community grants to local non-profit organizations and $8,000 annually to global Rotary projects.
We are currently completing a $100,000 Rotary Global Grant project (with funding from Rotary International and clubs across the globe) to build a digital lab and provide conflict resolution programming at Kidz Express afterschool program center in the Austin community. In addition, we have an Interact Club for students in 7th-12th grade, sponsor incoming and outgoing high school exchange students, Rotary Global Grant Scholars for graduate students and Rotary Peace Fellowships.
We meet at Cucina Paradiso for a 12 p.m. lunch on the first three Wednesdays of the month. Please contact us if you would like to be our guest. Read More
_og.jpg "Rotary Youth Exchange is the experience of a lifetime")
We are excited to welcome our two new exchange students, Sam Ala Naziri (Sweden) and Smilla Winnemoller (Germany) for the 2022-23 academic year. Sam is enrolled as a senior at Lyons Township High School and Smilla is enrolled as a junior at Oak Park River Forest High School. Both Sam and Smilla are busy learning their way around their new respective high schools, meeting people, and exploring the Chicago area.
We are most grateful for the wonderful host families who have opened their homes and their hearts to these students. Rotary Youth Exchange brings cultures together, opens communities to the wider world and creates families across the globe. In addition, it inspires young leaders to serve as catalysts for peace and social justice in their local communities and throughout the world, long after their exchanges end. To learn more about hosting a student or participating as a student in the Rotary Youth Exchange program, please contact us.
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