Exchanges
Experiences Canada offers youth exchanges for participants aged 12 to 17 years old. The exchanges are organized between groups of 10 to 30 young people. By discovering a new community, young people deepen their knowledge of a second language, become aware of a new culture, remove social barriers, form new friendships, and develop greater self-confidence. Youth Exchanges Canada is an enriching educational exchange program that encourages participants to learn and gives them the opportunity to live life changing experiences. Join the 5,000 youth who participate each year in the Experiences Canada Youth Exchange Program.
Please note that all participants must be new to the exchange program.
Sports Exchanges
Experiences Canada funds travel for sport teams across Canada to promote physical activity and connect young athletes across the country. During a sports-themed exchange participants engage in their sport as well as learn about the history and heritage of Canada and develop an appreciation for Canada’s regional diversity.
Organizer Testimonial
What an amazing experience and opportunity this has become for all the kids & adults alike. Fostering friendships, knowledge & understanding all through the love of Canada’s game HOCKEY.
Sample Itinerary
- Travel
- Walking tour of Gastown in Vancouver
- Soccer practice
- Tour of UBC
- Visit Museum of Anthropology
- Walking tour of Granville Island
- Rent bikes and tour Stanley Park
- BC Royal Museum
- Hike in Deep Cove area
- Visit the Burrard Inlet and Rocky Point area
- Soccer game
Immigration Exchanges
Experiences Canada has partnered with the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 to offer a truly memorable experience! Youth will visit specific sites around Halifax and throughout the province where they will learn first-hand how different organizations work to address these issues with respect and dignity. Participants will take part in a wrap-up discussion reflecting on what they learned and experienced in Halifax and implementing an action plan for an event or activity that they could undertake during the second half of their exchange. In the months that pass between travel periods, the groups will carry on virtually, exploring this dialogue with a blog or vlog! Participants will explore the twin group’s community and put their plan in action!
THINK: celebrating diversity through a community arts exposition, taking cooking classes and learning about different cuisines, volunteering at an immigrant resettlement centre or teaching English/French to newcomers.
Sample Itinerary
- Travel days
- Harbour Hopper Tour
- Board Room Games
- Visit Pier 21 Museum
- Boat Rowing
- Lunch at waterfront
- Maritime Museum
- Fairview Lawn Cemetery-visit graves of those passed away in sinking of the Titanic
- Ross Creek Center
- Mik’maw Art Workshop
- Visit to Grand Pré
- Peggy’s Cove
- Halifax Shopping for souvenirs
Indigenous exchanges
Experiences Canada funds youth exchanges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities as well as Indigenous groups to other Indigenous groups. These culturally enriching exchanges provide youth with an opportunity to share their culture, language and traditions while enhancing their pride and respect for their community.
Organizer Testimonial
I think one of the most important reasons for youth from the North to participate in an exchange is that it gives us the opportunity to educate other young Canadians about what it’s truly like to live in the Arctic. For me, being able to connect with people from a totally different place was so amazing, and an experience I’ll never forget.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 & 7 • Travel days, some include welcome potlucks
Day 2 • Hike the Burnt Bridge Loop Trail
Day 3 • Hot Springs
Day 4 • Language and Traditional Food Workshop
Day 5 • Petroglyphs and Waterfall
Day 6 • Potlatch
Day 1 & 7 • Travel days
Day 2 • Dinner and sharing circle
Day 3 • dog sledding • ice fishing • drying fish • checking snars
Day 4 • Beading with Elders • Sliding
Day 5 • Snowshoeing • Youth Outdoor Event • Drum Dance
Day 6 • Trapping camp
Day 1 & 7 • Travel days
Day 2 • Walking tour • Visit with local artists
Day 3 • Day on the land-ice fishing arctic char
Day 4 • Traditional Inuit games • cross country skiing • igloo making
Day 5 • Carving demonstration • Hike • Sewing/beading, scraping sealskin
Day 6 • Throat singing and Drum dance
Human rights Exchanges
Experiences Canada has partnered with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to offer a truly memorable experience. Youth will visit specific sites around Winnipeg, where they will learn first-hand how different organizations work to advance human rights and address inequalities with respect and dignity. Participants will take part in a wrap-up discussion reflecting on what they learned and experienced in Winnipeg and implementing an action plan towards the second half of their exchange. In the months that pass between travel periods, the groups will carry on virtually, exploring this dialogue with a blog or vlog! Participants will explore the twin group’s community and put their plan in action!
THINK: fundraiser for a charity, organizing a school or community awareness event, an anti-bullying rally or volunteering at a local food bank.
Organizer Testimonial
On Monday morning we went by coach to Winnipeg – the main focus of our trip was a visit to the Human Rights Museum, a work shift at Winnipeg Harvest and a visit to the Indigenous Center. We rounded that out with an activity at The Real Escape and some play the Sky Zone Trampoline Park. I think as a group we enjoyed showing off our province – we as Manitobans are quite proud of our beautiful new museum and while many of my students had been there, it was new to some too. The Winnipeg Harvest, the Human Rights Museum, and the Indigenous Center made for a nice package and added a lot of substance to our week in Manitoba.
Sample Itinerary
- Travel days, some include welcome potluck.
- Riding Mountain National Park
- Life and Arts Center
- Traditional Prairie Meal
- Ukrainian Dancers
- Winnipeg Harvest
- Manitoba Indigenous and Cultural Education Center
- Human Rights Museum
- Tour of the Mint
- Walking tour of the Forks
Linguistic Exchanges
Linguistic exchanges provide youth with an opportunity to strengthen their second language by involving them in another community and immersing in the culture. Second-language exchanges make up half of all Experiences Canada youth exchanges. Participants not only gain the confidence to use their second language, but they realize the importance of being skilled in both of Canada’s official languages. Whether your group is learning French or English, Experiences Canada will develop an exchange experience where youth are immersed in their second language.
Organizer Testimonial
My experience inspired me to learn more about Canada’s history and sparked a further interest in continuing my studies in French, my second language.
Sample Itinerary
- Travel days
- Maison de la Découverte
- Terrasse Dufferin
- Château Frontenac
- Plains of Abraham
- Walking Tour of Quebec City
- Village Valcartier
- Dog Sledding
- Sugar Bush visit and meal
- Family Time
Program Advisory Council
The mandate of the Program Advisory Council is to provide input and advice on issues pertaining to all current and ongoing programs. The Advisory Council will provide a platform for educators and community leaders to share ideas, perspectives, concerns and best practices
Program Advisory Board members must meet the following requirements:
- Being a teacher, working or volunteering with 12 to 17 year olds, or being a retired teacher.
- Experience in developing business plans, curriculum linkages and other educational resources.
- Bilingualism is an asset, since French and English speaking representatives participate in most of our meetings.
Members of the Program Advisory Council must:
- Believe in the mandate and vision of Experiences Canada.
- Have the willingness and the ability to dedicate time and energy to participate in quarterly phone calls.
- Ability to think, speak and act independently on behalf of Experiences Canada at conferences or conferences of teachers and community organizations, school board meetings or other events where Experiences Canada could be invited to participate.
- Promote the youth exchange program and other Experiences Canada initiatives, and actively participate in the implementation of recruitment strategies in their respective province or territory.
- Provide feedback to help staff improve programs.
If you would like to remain active in Experiences Canada and want to join the PAC, please submit your application online.
What we finance
- Transportation is free from your community to your twin group!
- Air, bus and train transportation costs are covered by the Department of Canadian Heritage
- Transportation to and from the airport is also covered.
What does it cost?
- A membership fee of $ 100 per group is required with the request to participate
- A registration fee per person is requested after the group has accepted the funding
- Hosting-related expenses such as local transportation, supply teachers and activity costs while hosting the twin group or as agreed upon between the two organizers.
Special Measures
In order to support the inclusion of all youth in Experiences Canada’s exchange programs and to reduce barriers to participation, Experiences Canada will provide limited additional funding for special measures.
The special measures will specifically support:
- Inclusion of youth with disabilities and other special needs, including expenses related to the support of special care attendants and interpreters.
- Young people from low-income families
- The support of additional guides as needed.
- Other types of accommodation in shared accommodation.
- Youth in rural, isolated or marginalized areas.
- Other requests approved on a case-by-case basis.
- Each year, group organizers submit a request for additional funding by submitting the “Special Measures” form to their Experiences Canada Coordinator, along with their budget for the exchange. We encourage groups to raise funds as much as possible to contribute to their request for special measures because funding is very limited.