Exchanges Canada

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Exchanges Canada
Presentation by Jean-Gilles Francoeur, Oct. 27,
2003
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Exchanges Canada
Participants from a SEVEC exchange
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Youth Exchanges Canada

• Two-way reciprocal home-stay exchanges
• For youth 11- 18 Years of Age
• Groups of 10-30 participants twinned with youth
  from another province/territory
• Exchange lasts a minimum of 5 days
• Government of Canada funds transportation,
  special measures

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Why home-stay exchanges?

• An opportunity to live in someone elses world
• Experience firsthand the diversity and shared
  elements of life in different parts of Canada
• Strengthen connections between Canadians
• Opportunity to speak the other official language

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Cycle of the Exchange

• Before the exchange
• Develop joint learning projects and plan
  activities
• Community research
• Participate in fundraising activities
• Communicate with twin.
• During the exchange
• Host twins at home
• Learn about each others community
• After the exchange
• Evaluation Process
• Communication activities to reinforce
  experience.

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Youth Exchanges Canada Participants 2002-2003
Exchange participants mirror the geographic
distribution of young Canadians in each province
and territory.
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Measures to Encourage Diversity

• About 40 of exchanges target under-represented
  groups aboriginals, rural isolated areas,
  low-income, visible minorities, disabled
• Over 50 are Official Language exchanges
• Special measures are in place to accommodate the
  needs of all youth
• No individual fees for reciprocal exchanges, only
  group fee

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Youth Exchanges Canada
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Exchanges Canada Outreach
Target Group Youth Participants Total 9020 Youth Participants 2002-2003 Statistics Canada Youth Population (11-18 years old)
Youth from low income families 21 19
Aboriginal youth 7 5
Youth with a disability 5.5 6
Youth from Rural or Isolated Areas 42 23
Visible Minority youth 5 15
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A Participants Testimony
I now feel like I can do anything.
Youth participant, SEVEC exchange
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Youth Exchanges Canada

• DELIVERY ORGANIZATIONS
• SEVEC- The Exchange Network
• YMCA
• Canadian 4-H Council
• Canada Sports Friendship Exchange Program and
• Folklore Canada International
• Summer Work/Student Exchange

11,300 participants in 2002-2003
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Questions