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High school exchange programme in Canada
Immerse yourself in the Canadian way of life, living with a host family and studying at a local secondary school on a high school exchange programme.
Experience life in the Great White North
Student exchange programme in Canada
A land full of adventures waiting to be taken – skiing, skating, ice hockey, but also kayaking, canoeing, hiking and camping in the great outdoors. If Canada is on the table, there’s surely fun to be had!
Canadians are known for being kind, tolerant and open-minded. Other staples of Canadian society and culture are personal well-being, respect towards others, and celebrating diversity and inclusion. Ready for a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the Great White North?
Keyword: always be yourself
Inclusiveness
In Canadian schools, inclusiveness is a true point of strength. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or how you look, you’ll be accepted for who you are. A bit like joining a team where everyone works to achieve a shared goal, and diversity is seen as an added value.
What’s high school like in Canada?
Your spirit animal
Each Canadian school has a local native animal as their mascot: moose, beaver, seal... whichever yours will be, it will stay with you forever. A symbol to embody the strength of the Canadian school spirit.
Sense of belonging
The concept of school spirit in Canada focuses on ensuring all students are well integrated into the school community and feel included. Ready to become a true Canadian and represent your school with pride?
Provinces and school districts
Each Canadian province and territory is responsible for its own education system. Depending on the geographical area, the curriculum may be taught in English or French. The choice is yours, depending on which school district you choose for your programme!
Top of the class
Canada is much more than just impressive scenery: it is also a country where life is good - high employment rates, high life expectancy, abundant culture, low crime rates... education is easily accessible and Canadian students can benefit from safe, nurturing learning environments.
A big country, lots of choice. Pick the experience that suits you best!
Live the dream – create a tailor-made programme
On a Flex programme to Canada, it's up to you to choose where you'll live, which sports you’d like to try and which subjects you’d like to study. In short, you create an experience that's tailored to you.
Homestay family with reimbursement
Tuition fees included in the programme fee
Placement in your chosen school district
3, 5 or 10-month programmes available
Your host family during your year abroad
Gain a second family – they can’t wait to welcome you into their lives!
Here is why:
Canadian families are known for their welcoming, tolerant attitude. Cultural exchange is a familiar concept over there, and you will be treated as a member of the family from the very beginning.
You will share many unique experiences with your Canadian family. From traditional celebrations, typical foods, or simple family moments, long-lasting memories and bonds will form naturally.
Your host family will be at your side during your Canadian adventure. Whether it’s to help you with homework, guide you in your choice of activities, or give you a hug if you’re feeling homesick, they are there to help you integrate. Lean on them!
Your school in Canada
Find out more about your school experience
School in Canada is divided into 12 levels (grades): grades 1 to 6 for primary school students (age 6-12), and grades 7 to 12 for secondary school students (12-18). However, each province has its own peculiarities, such as Québec, where school ends a year earlier.
The Canadian education system
As an exchange student to Canada, you will be able to create you own personalised study plan, including three or four core subjects and a few electives, that you can choose amongst a wide range: marketing, tourism, information technology, accounting... you will certainly find something to pique your interest!
School subjects
Senior high school in Canada comprises of three years:
- 10th grade – Sophomore: 15-16 years old
- 11th grade – Junior: 16-17 years old
- 12th grade – Senior: 17-18 years old
At the conclusion of secondary school, Canadian students obtain a high school diploma that allows access to university.
Secondary school in Canada
While the offer may vary from school to school, participation in extra-curricular activities is important to keep active, make new friendships and express your creativity. Whether it’s through sport, or through recreational activities such as cultural and social pursuits, you’re bound to find something you’ll enjoy and have fun with!
Extra-curricular activities
The Canadian academic year starts between late August/early September and ends in June. There are breaks during the year, including winter break (including Christmas, from late December to early January), spring break (usually in March, although some provinces have it in April) and summer vacation in July and August.
You will also come across national, regional, and local public holidays, on which there is no school. Here is a brief list of holidays shared by all provinces:
* New Year's Day: 1st January, festive atmosphere and fireworks, usually surrounded by snow
* Good Friday and Easter Monday: April - a popular time for hot cross buns!
* Victoria Day: May, a homage to Queen Victoria
* Canada Day: 1st July, with celebrations across the country and guaranteed fun
* Thanksgiving: October, when everyone gathers around a roasted turkey
* Christmas: 25th December, family time
* Boxing Day: 26th December
The school calendar
In Canada, academic grading varies by province and also differs from school to school. It's quite common for grades to be expressed with letters from A or A+ to F, where C is the minimum passing grade. Some schools prefer to use a numerical scale from 1 to 100, where a 60 is required to pass.
Grades in Canada
Stories from students and parents who have been there
Here are the testimonials of families who have chosen WEP for their exchange experience.
Going with WEP is best
Since 1988, a wide choice of destinations and comprehensive assistance before, during and after your overseas programme. WEP is the ideal partner for your big overseas adventure.
Like you, we also get to choose who we travel with: our schools, host families and overseas partner organisations are carefully selected.
We offer a custom-made insurance policy, specifically designed for our participants, and we have a solid network behind us.
Emergency assistance, overseas and in the UK, is available 7 days out of 7, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Allowing all our participants to live their desired overseas experience is a mission, a challenge we're thrilled to accept.
FAQ
Your host family, local coordinator and your host organisation will provide you with support while you are overseas. WEP will remain in contact with the host organisation and your parents to coordinate and support your experience. In case of an emergency, both you and your family will be able to call an emergency phone number that is answered 24/7.
No. Even if you go on exchange to an English speaking destination, you will not be able to transfer work across to the UK school system. Students should expect to return home to the UK and start a new year of school having taken a gap year. Most applicants participate in a year program with WEP and return to school with the year below on their return. If you participate in a shorter program, your school might be willing to allow you to catch up with missed work so that you can continue in your same school year. All these decisions are made by your school so it is important that you talk with them before applying for the program.
Our partners have different rules regarding your language proficiency - some ask that you have between 1 and 2 years of experience with their language, while others (such as Brazil, Argentina, Denmark, Finland and Norway) do not require you to have learnt their language before departing on exchange.
If you want to go to a country where English is not the first language, you must be committed to learning the language and studying as much as possible before you depart - the more you know on arrival, the easier the transition will be. It wouldn’t be acceptable for you to arrive on exchange with no knowledge of the language, as you would struggle to establish yourself on the program.
Of course, there are English-speaking destinations available if you are not interested in learning another language.
No, it's the host families who choose the student they wish to invite into their home. Based on the documents you will submit as part of your WEP application, one lucky family will choose to open their home and hearts to you, which is why there is no avenue for students participating in a Classic exchange program to choose a specific location.
It may be possible to live with an overseas family that you already know (excluding relatives of the student). However, the family will have to be screened and approved, prepared and supported by our partner organisation in the same manner as any other host family. School enrolment must also be available.
Host families come in all shapes and sizes. There is no set idea of what a family will look like, so it's very important that you have an open mind. Some families have children of your age or younger; some have children who have grown up and moved away; others have not had children. Some are single parent or single person families. Some families have same-sex parents.
We ask that a host family provides a safe and caring environment for a young person to live in. Whatever your family looks like, they will welcome you as part of their family.
Most of our families are based in suburban or rural areas. It is very rare that a family is based in a large city.
In the USA, you can pay an additional fee to request a region or state of your choice. Placement in these areas is not guaranteed but you can state a preference. You only pay the fee if you are placed in the area you have requested.
Alternatively, on our Preferred programs in the USA, Canada and Australia, you can choose where exactly you will live as you can choose your school or school district.
Families in every destination are selected by a similar process:
Home interview -a staff member/representative of our partner organisation visits the family at home. They discuss what is involved in hosting and ensure they have the right motivation for hosting. They also assess the home for suitability and comfort.
References – friends/colleagues of family members are contacted and asked about the family’s ability to host and care for a young person.
Police check – all adult members of the home must complete a criminal background check.
NB: in Japan it is not possible for a criminal check to be secured due to the stringent bureaucracy preventing adults from getting a check of this nature. Most families are known by the school and the school plays a role in recruiting families.
Our partner organisations aim to notify your placement to you at least one month before departure. We hope that it will be no later than this, but, on occasion, the information does arrive later. Placement details could arrive a few days after you lodge your application or several months later. Whatever the situation, you have to be patient and be ready to contact your host family as soon as you receive the placement information sheet.
No. In most destinations your visa will not allow you to work while on the program. We also discourage students from working as it can prevent you from participating fully in other activities while on exchange. Students can volunteer if they wish.
No. Visits from family and friends are definitely not allowed during the exchange program. Your parents can plan to collect you at the end of the program from your host family home, but otherwise they cannot visit. If they do wish to collect you, they must notify WEP so that we can arrange your flight home for the correct date and arrange an extension of your insurance policy where needed. Please note that any additional fees for these changes are not included in the program fee.
Independent travel is not permissible while on exchange. However, you will be able to travel with your host family, school, host organisation and other community groups such as sporting teams or scouts. Again, the foremost aim of the program is educational, and your priority for any holiday periods must be your host family, who will be investing a lot of time, energy and money into this experience - simply in return for your frienship and positive contribution to their household.
Most of our partner organisations offer additional trips or tours that students can join to see more of their host country. The relevant information will be shared with your prior to departure or just after arrival. The cost of the trips or tours is not included in your program fee, so if you wish to join them you should budget for the extra expenses.
More questions?