French Immersion

Bilingual Travel Opportunities, Exchanges, & Bursaries

Encounters with Canada
http://www.encounters-rencontres.ca

Encounters with Canada is Canada's largest youth forum. Every week of the school year, 120-138 teens from across Canada (ages 14-17) come to Ottawa; there, they discover their country through each other, learn about Canadian institutions, meet famous and accomplished Canadians, explore exciting career themes, develop their civic leadership skills, and live an extraordinary bilingual experience. Over 78,000 youth have lived the EWC experience so far!

The Foundation for the Study of Processes of Government in Canada
http://www.igloo.org/forum

Established in 1975 as a bilingual, non-partisan educational experience for Canadian high school and Cégep (Quebec) students, Forum is the Foundation’s best-known program, with approximately 450 students from across the country selected to participate each year. The “Forum experience” brings students to Ottawa for an intensive academic adventure that immerses them in the exciting world of national politics and public affairs.

Organisme Sejours Educatifs Francais (OSEF)
http://www.osef.ca

OSEF offers three and one-month reciprocal home and school exchange programs for individual students that want to improve their French and discover France. Visiting exchange students arrive in British Columbia at the beginning of August (1-month exchange) or in mid-August (3-month exchange) and depart one or three months later. This program is made possible in collaboration with the Department of Education to enhance language proficiency, to promote personal growth and development, to increase awareness of another culture and to foster a global perspective.

Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada (SEVEC)
http://www.sevec.ca

SEVEC is all about helping youth 12 to 17 years of age to exchange ideas, experience new ways of life, and explore your country. It is THE place to tap into a wide variety of information. Want to travel Canada? Looking to volunteer in another city? Feel like learning another language? Over 300,000 youth between the ages of 11 and 18 have participated in SEVEC, why not you?

Explore / Destination Clic Program
http://www.jexplore.ca

This program provides bursaries up to a value of $2,000 (covering room, board and tuition) to enable students completing at least grade 11 or at post-secondary level, to enrol in five-week immersion courses offered in French at institutions throughout Canada. NOTE: The Ministry of Education has approved the Explore Program as an External Credential. Students who have not yet graduated and who successfully complete Explore would be entitled to receive credit towards BC secondary school graduation. Please refer to the External Credentials chapter in the "Course Information" which may be found at the following Ministry web site: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/graduation/courseinfo/ The deadline to apply is February 28.

J’explore
www.jexplore.ca

“J’explore”, formally known as the “Summer Languages Bursary Program”, is a five-week trip to French-speaking Canada open to students having completed grade 11 and up. Students are offered courses, as well as enriching athletic and cultural activities (such as theatre, music, dance, films, and weekend outings). Participants may choose to stay with a host family or in a University residence. All costs except air transportation are covered by the Government of Canada. For more information, go to www.jexplore.ca . Application deadline is February 28, 2009.

Official-Languages Study Fellowship
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/frenchprograms/bursary_summ_eng.pdf
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/frenchprograms/offlang.htm

One-time study fellowships of up to $1,500 ($1,000 in BC) per year ($4,000 lifetime maximum) are available to encourage students to enter a full-time post-secondary program offered in French at a French language or bilingual institution for a period of one academic year. Application forms are sent to school district offices and secondary schools in December. They are also available from the French Programs at (250) 356-0256. The BC Ministry of Education will approve fellowships on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to available funding.

Summer Work Student Exchange is a YMCA programme sponsored by Canadian Heritage offered to 16 and 17-year-old French Immersion students. It is similar to “J’explore” in that students travel to French speaking Canada for 6 weeks and live with a host family. The difference is that participants have a job in their second language and are paid for their work. Applications are already being accepted, so don’t wait! Go to www.summer-work.com

For other opportunities en Français go to http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Main.asp?Language=0

Official Language Odyssey Program
www.myodyssey.ca

Administered by the Council of Ministers of Education (Canada) Part-time monitors are university students who work up to 8 hours per week. A student who has received an Official Language Fellowship may wish to apply for a mentorship while continuing his/her studies. Full-time monitors work in the more rural parts of Canada helping teachers with the oral and cultural aspects of a second language. The monitor works 5 hours a day from September to May for a total of 900 hours per year. Francophone monitors work in the English-speaking areas of Canada. Anglophone monitors work in the French-speaking areas of Canada. For more information, please go to the website: www.myodyssey.ca

Deadline Date: June 20th

Destination CLIC – BOURSES POUR FRANCOPHONES
www.destinationclic.ca

Administered by the Council of Ministers of Education (Canada) This program enables Francophone students of 14 years of age or older to take a five week course in French First Language. The bursary is paid directly to the institution and covers costs of tuition, instructional materials, room and board, and compulsory activities. Half of the student’s transportation costs are reimbursed by the institution at the end of the course. Optional expenses are his/her own responsibility. Students are accepted at all levels of language competence. All programs include socio-cultural activities as well as classroom instruction. These programs are offered at only four Canadian institutions:

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Université de Moncton
Centre Linguistique du Collège de Jonquière
Université d’Ottawa
For more information, please go to the website: www.destinationclic.ca
Deadline Date: March 15th