Westminster 7:10 Rotary - 7:10 Rotary Projects

Through the Open World Program, Rotary clubs and districts in the United States have a unique opportunity to host Russians interested in U.S. culture and society. Through a grant secured by Rotary International, Rotarians can serve as hosts to groups of young, emerging Russian leaders during eight-day stays.

The guests get a firsthand look at the U.S. political system, business culture, and community life. Rotary clubs and districts, in turn, meet the next generation of Russian leaders, establishing long-lasting ties with Russia and its people while contributing to Rotary's work of spreading goodwill between cultures. The program also aims to promote understanding and forge bonds of friendship between the two nations.

Developed and operated by the Open World Leadership Center at the Library of Congress, the program has worked with Rotary International since 1999. Learn more about its history on the official Open World Program Web site.

How it works:

Any U.S. club or district may participate. Each one hosts four Russian delegates and one facilitator and develops a program of study that focuses on specific aspects of the United States. The visitors stay in volunteers' homes, which provides them an introduction to U.S. family and community life.

Open World Program participants come from throughout Russia and represent a broad range of political parties, ethnic groups, and professional backgrounds. Their average age is 38, and more than 44 percent are women.

During intensive, short-term visits, participants learn about the responsibilities of and the relationships among the three branches of the U.S. government at the federal, state, and local levels. They also learn how private and nonprofit sectors help meet social and civic needs.

Programs of study are based on one of five civic themes: economic development, the environment, health and social services, local governance, and women as leaders. They focus on hands-on experiences, direct observation, and substantive dialogue between visitors and their U.S. professional counterparts through activities such as:

Campaigning door-to-door with political candidates
Attending city council meetings
Accompanying police on patrols
Joining newspaper editorial staff meetings
Observing the jury selection process

Host requirements

Host clubs and districts have several responsibilities before, during, and after an Open World Program group visit. RI receives a grant from the Open World Leadership Center that allows it to reimburse Rotary clubs for many of their hosting expenses. Download RI's Open World Program brochure for complete details on host requirements, including financial responsibilities.

Take a moment to look at the pictures of our current group of Open World delegates by clicking on this link: Photo Album as found on our home page.

View the daily schedule for the Open World delegates:

Following is the link to the week long activities organized and implimented by Emil Rinaldi and the members of the Westminster 7:10 Rotary Club. Click on this link: Open World Program to view the program listed for each day of the week.

Talk to the Russian Delegates

Open World has made a translation service available so that we can
communicate with the Russian delegates from our recent Open World program. Here is the information I have on the program from Jennifer Sewell in Evanston:

To get the translation service, sign up for the "Open World Digital Directory" at http://dd.openworld.gov/?IDLang=0. Once you're registered, login and search for OW alumni, post pictures, comments or essays about your experience with Open World. Additionally, this digital directory comes with automatic translation from Russian to English and vise versa.