Farewell, Canada 150 & Me!— now onto the next 150 years!— We just wrapped up our Canada 150&Me program! With special thanks to our national partners Department of Canadian Heritage, TD Bank, Great-West Life, McCain Foundation, and WestJet and many other organizations across the country we were definitely able to achieve our mission; to create opportunities for young Canadians to meet like-minded people ; to share their passion for community action and leadership on the issues that matter most to them, and to have a great time exploring another part of our country they otherwise might never see. We can't wait to see what our 150&Me alumni will do with the new knowledge they've gained! If you haven't seen it yet, make sure to watch our National Forum that took place in Ottawa June 26th. The Governor General of Canada attended and our talented participants shared their opinions on today's problems and opportunities. Click here to watch it: bit.ly
Later this Fall, Experiences Canada will be publishing a digital e-Yearbook documenting the project from beginning to end. If you’d like to receive a free copy click here to sign up experiencescanada.ca
Summer Exchange Highlights— 2017 — Canada 150 has been a big year so far! Not only did we have our 150&Me project running full force, but we also had more Experiences Canada exchange groups travelling this summer than in recent years! Here are a few highlights: Hockey Cares Oakville and Hockey Cares Attawapiskat participating in a hockey exchange that brought 14 boys from Attawapiskat to Oakville from July 9-11th. The Oakville boys will be travelling to Attawapiskat November 9-11th. During their week in Oakville the boys bonded over their love of hockey, played multiple games, toured Toronto and enjoyed meeting their twin families. Below are some of their testimonials. Ally: What I will remember is not only the events, tourist activities, and hockey games, but connecting one on one with the boys and getting to know them. I think my favourite memory is debating the merits of counter service at McDonald's, and hearing about one of the boys' families and how he was having fun but looking forward to being back home. Social media has allowed us to stay connected and it's been great to be able just to check in and say hi online. Nolan: Hockey Really Does Care When the Kids from Attawapiskat came to Oakville, we were excited and nervous. Nervous about maybe the kids not liking us, or our cultures not connecting. This quickly changed when we had a chance to chat and definitely when we hit the ice. On the ice we all spoke the same language and were totally connected. Hockey has brought us together, but our friendships are about more than just the sport now! Thank you to Hockey Cares and to our new friends for having shared in the experience with us. CISV Saskatoon and CISV Montréal-St-Grégoire participated in an exchange back to back that started on June 29th. In Montréal, CISV Saskatoon got to practice their French and learn Montréal’s history. In Saskatoon, CISV Montréal-St-Grégoire got to learn about the indigenous culture, practice their English and learn about Canada’s history. Below are a few testimonials. What are you proud of? Gabrielle: I’m proud that I improved my English and I’m proud that I hosted and helped while in Saskatchewan. Pacific: I’m proud that I practiced my English because in the past I used to be shy. What could you improve? Gabrielle: I should’ve participated in more discussions in groups and give my opinion. Pacific: I should’ve interacted more with the other group. What’s one thing you’ve discovered about yourself? Gabrielle: I discovered that I’m able to create relationship quickly. Pacific: I discovered that I was able to overcome home sickness by participating in the activities. Name something you’ve learned during the exchange? Gabrielle: I learned to live with a new person for 3 weeks. Pacific: I’ve participated more than I used to. On June 28th, the Cantiamo Girls Choir of Ottawa hosted The Inuksuk High School Drum Dancers from Nunavut. They were able to perform with choristers from every province and territory in Canada as part of the national Unisong choral festival. To top off their unforgettable week which included Canada Day festivities in the nation’s capital, they also performed at the Ottawa Inuit Children's Centre. The Girl Guides 1st Berwick Pathfinders from Nova Scotia traveled to Kingston on August 1st. After a quick stop in Ottawa to visit the Parliament buildings, Byward Market and some of our national museums, they made their way to Kingston where the real guiding adventures began! Together they set up camp, canoed, and made fleece capes that were donated to a local women's shelter. We are always looking for Exchange Groups!—NO DEADLINES— It's not too late to apply for an exchange this school year! What better way for your students or youth groups to get to know more about themselves and about each other? . All you need to do is tell us where you want to travel and what your goal is for the trip. We’ll help match you with another group with similar objectives in mind. Not sure where to start? Here are some examples of upcoming exchanges this fall to get you started: Two Indigenous groups will be on exchange starting September 10th! Acwsalcta School from Bella Coola BC is travelling to Northern Manitoba where Mathias Colomb Cree Nation will be hosting them. We have a French exchange coming up on September 8th. École Le Savoir from Québec is going to École des Trois-Soleils in Iqualuit! They will get to tour Iqualuit, learn more about the indigenous culture by visiting museums, learning different sculpture techniques, how to make traditional clothing and eating different foods! All while getting to know another francophone community in Canada! Maples Met school is travelling to Ottawa to visit Glebe Collegiate Institute in November. They are participating in a themed Human Rights Exchange that will culminate in Winnipeg later this school year and include special programming at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg Harvest, and the Manitoba Indigenous Culture and Education Centre. A great thing about our themed exchanges is that you will be able to incorporate it in your curriculum. We have exchanges on human rights, immigration, and languages! You can also request an exchange with an indigenous group, where your group which is one of the Truth and Reconciliation’s key recommendations for advancing cross cultural understanding. |