Ottawa-Carleton Education Network (OCENET) believes in the importance of exchange programs for both students and teachers.
Student Exchanges
There are a variety of exchange programs to choose from and we encourage you to do your research carefully and ask questions of the exchange organizers.
Group Exchanges
Students participate in these exchanges as part of a group and usually have a cultural or language focus. They vary in length from two to five weeks.
The OCDSB / Aix-Marseille-Nice exchange is a 5-week reciprocal exchange primarily for grade 10 and 11 students to learn more about French culture and to develop their language skills while attending school in the Aix-Marseille-Nice area.
The OCSDB-Japan Exchange is a 2-week homestay exchange for OCDSB students. Yamate Gakuin High School students from Yokohama, Japan (just outside Tokyo) stay with OCDSB students for two weeks in April of every 2nd year. OCDSB students then travel to Japan for 2 weeks to stay with a family in July / August of that same year.
The OCSDB-China Cultural exchange is a 10-day homestay exchange for students from any OCDSB high school. Students stay with host families from one of our partner schools in Chengdu, participate in various cultural excursions and school visits and enjoy the amazing people, culture, sites, sounds and smells of this Sichuan province. Students travel to China around the middle of November every year. Elementary students from Chengdu visit Ottawa in the spring and stay with families at schools in our district and attend school while here.
Individual Exchanges
There are several independent organizations that organize a variety of student exchanges with a variety of countries. Exchanges can vary in length up to a year long. The first two on the list are independent organizations who have signed agreements to work with the OCDSB and who have supported OCDSB students in the past.
NOTE: Neither Ottawa-Carleton Education Network (OCENET) nor the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is responsible for the content of listed web sites or the actions or policies of their publishers. Listing on this page does not imply endorsement, recognition and approval of the sites or their owners. Students and teachers are cautioned to ask for and check references for any opportunities or programs.
For more information about any of the above exchanges, please contact Mr. Sean Oussoren, International Education Coordinator, at 613-239-0314, Ext. 2108.