I have questions? – Official Languages Programs

ACCOUNT (PROFILE)

You won’t be able to apply without an account. Your personal data is encrypted in our database and shared only with authorized users for the administration of the official languages programs. You don’t need to create a separate profile for each program you are interested in participating.

AGE REQUIREMENT

There are minimum age requirements for each session. Participants must be of age before or on the first day of the session.

For Explore, the maximum ages are 15 for the 13–15-year-old age group and 17 for the 16–17-year-old age group. For those attending the 18+ sessions, there is no maximum age limit.

APPLICATIONS

Yes, so make sure you remember your username and password to monitor your file, or to reapply to Explore.

You may not meet the minimum age requirements for the 13–15- or 16–17-year-old sessions, based on the date of birth you entered in your profile. If this is your situation, please reach out to your provincial or territorial coordinator. If you believe that you do meet the age requirements, verify your date of birth in your personal profile page. If your date of birth is correct, contact your provincial or territorial coordinator to help you.

These are the institutions that accept participants in your age group, based on the date of birth you entered in your profile.

Submitting an application is easy! Apply to your preferred program using the OLP-PLO mobile app or through our website. For more info, check out this quick video tutorial on applying via the website, produced by one of our talented promotion agents.

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE

The Explore and Destination Clic institutions strictly adhere to all local, provincial/territorial, and federal health and safety guidelines. There may be quarantine restrictions between provinces/territories. Check individual provincial and territorial rules and requirements at the following link: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/provinces. Your host institution will provide more detailed information once your spot in the program has been confirmed.

If you are between 13 and 15, a chaperone will meet you at your point of arrival. However, chaperones may be available for participants in the 16–17-year-old age group. Contact your host institution for more information about chaperones and your arrival arrangements. Related: Will my child be picked up at the airport or bus/train station?

You are expected to arrive and leave on the dates set by your institution. Late arrivals and early departures are not permitted.

COSTS

Government of Canada funding covers tuition, food, lodging, and most of the activities. Government of Canada funding does not cover: travel to and from your institution, the non-refundable registration fee, spending money for optional social activities and for personal items such as toiletries and souvenirs. For more information.

Yes. Registration fees are paid to the host institution in order to reserve your place in the program. These non-refundable fees are to be paid only when you confirm your participation.

CREDITS

You will be responsible for all arrangements regarding your credit transfer. Check with your home institution before you start the Explore program.

It is still possible to get credit from your home institution, even if your host institution does not offer credit. To find out if this is possible, you can bring your certificate of completion, transcript, or language assessments to your home institution for consideration. Moreover, even if you don’t earn credit, your newly acquired language skills will serve you well in your future. Don’t forget to add these new skills to your résumé.

If your home institution accepts a credit from the Explore program, it will determine that credit’s equivalency (i.e., level and number of credits).

All institutions issue an official certificate of completion to program participants. However, obtaining a credit depends on whether your host institution offers a credit and whether your school, college, or university will accept that credit. Contact your home institution directly to determine whether such credit would be accepted.

DOCUMENTS AFTER THE PROGRAM

Contact your host institution for next steps.

DRAW

The pan-Canadian draw usually takes place at the end of February of every year. You will receive an e-mail notification when the draw occurs. Applications submitted after the pan-Canadian draw and prior to May 31 will be considered, in the event that there are places available before the start of the sessions.

Please follow the prompts in your application profile when you are awarded a place or contact the institution directly for more information. If you have extenuating circumstances for refusing (e.g., a severe illness, death of a relative), contact your provincial/territorial coordinator to discuss alternatives.

If you are awarded a place, you will have a set number of days in which to accept or refuse the place. Please follow the prompts in your application profile or contact the Explore institution directly for more information. If you do not respond in a timely manner, your status will be changed to “inactive,” and your place will be offered to someone else.

Yes! You can still create an online profile or log in to your existing profile and submit an application.

If you are eligible for the program and apply by the specified deadline, you will be entered into the draw. Places are awarded using a randomized, computer-generated draw. Funded placements continue to be awarded up until the program begins, so keep an eye on your inbox!

ELIGIBILITY

Many institutions accept participants who are not eligible for Explore funding. If you wish to attend a session, you must pay the cost of the program to the institution directly (approximately $3,000 to $4,000) and arrange for travel and personal expenses. Contact your desired institution for more information.

Yes. Complete your application well in advance (using your Canadian address) in order to give your home province or territory adequate time to process it. You may have to answer further questions or provide further documentation.

FUNDING

The funding for your place is transferred directly to the institution and covers your tuition, food, lodging, and most of your activities.

Maybe. Places are awarded using a randomized, computer-generated draw so there are no guarantees. However, if you would like to increase your odds of being placed at the same institution as your friend, please ensure your preferences are identical to those of your friend. Either way, you’ll have a great experience!

For privacy reasons, we cannot share that information.

You can participate in Explore more than once, but not in the same year. Priority is always given to first-time participants; however, past participants are occasionally awarded a place. Apply using your current online profile.

If eligible, you will receive a funded place for only one session per year. If you wish to attend a second session, you must pay the full cost of the program directly to the institution (approximately $3,000 to $4,000) along with the costs for travel and personal expenses.

LANGUAGE

Yes! There are no language requirements and you don’t need to know your level of language proficiency. You will be given a language pretest either online before you arrive or at the beginning of the program in order to determine your proficiency level. A post-test will be administered at the end of the program to assess your progress.

If you want to learn or improve French, then practising is key! You will get the most out of your experience by getting involved, speaking in French with your peers, and immersing yourself in your host community. Each institution has a policy about use of French, and these guidelines will be shared with participants upon registration.

LANGUAGES AT WORK

Languages at Work offers Explore participants between the ages of 18 and 30 years a unique opportunity to continue learning their second official language (either French or English) in a professional context during a practical summer job experience.

LODGING

Student residence:

One or two participant(s) per dorm-style room, common spaces shared with several other participants.

University apartment:

Approximately two to four participants per apartment, a shared kitchenette and bathroom within the apartment.

Maybe. If you and a friend are awarded places to the same institution and same session, contact the institution to find out how to share a room or a homestay. Either way, you’ll have a great experience!

For health, safety, and security reasons, no visitors will be permitted overnight. Rules and guidelines will be provided upon your arrival.

Maybe. If there is a major issue, please contact your institution.

You will be staying in a student residence or homestay that can accommodate only you.

Explore and Destination Clic institutions strictly adhere to all local, provincial/territorial, and federal health and safety guidelines. Institutions continue to work diligently with program staff to implement and carry out safety practices and procedures to help protect you and others.

NEED HELP

By providing a first, second, and third choice, you maximize your chance of being assigned to one of your preferred institutions. Every possible effort will be made to assign you to one of your selected institutions. However, you may be assigned elsewhere if your preferred institutions are already full. Additionally, you can increase your odds of earning a funded place by selecting the box that says “If none of my preferred institutions are available, I am open to going to any province where a spot is available” when completing your online application.

We do our best to ensure you will enjoy every aspect of the program. However, we understand that sometimes issues may arise. You will be given the telephone numbers of program staff who will be available if something comes up. Support services are also available at the institution if you would like to talk with someone on-site.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

All institutions offer a variety of free activities. Additional activities may be available to you at your own cost. Following registration, you will be provided more information regarding these activities.

PROBLEM

The goal of the Official Languages Programs is to provide a positive, enjoyable, and memorable learning experience. Every institution offers its own unique setting and experience. Experiences will also vary from person to person, including within the same session. If you’ve experienced an issue you would like to report, follow the steps here.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Once you have been awarded a place, contact your host institution as soon as possible to provide relevant information about your special needs (e.g., medically prescribed dietary requirements, medical care requirements). Most special requests can be accommodated with advance notice; however, you may be assigned to another institution that can better accommodate your needs.

STATUS

After submitting your application, you may see different statuses assigned to your profile. These statuses, and their meanings, are found below. As your application continues through the review process, your profile will be updated periodically with instructions regarding additional steps you’ll need to complete. In progress: You have created an online profile, but you have not completed your online application. Application completed: Your online application has been completed, but you have not completed uploading the necessary supporting documents. Incomplete application: Your supporting documents have been received, but a document is missing or incomplete. Eligible for draw: Your supporting documents have been received and processed, and you are now entered into the draw. Offer received: You have been offered a place. Your host institution will be contacting you to confirm your acceptance and make further arrangements. Wait pool: You are in the pool of applicants. You will be notified once a spot becomes available. Inactive: You were offered a place but did not reply within the timeline specified by your host institution.

SUPPLIES

All learning materials are supplied by the institution. However, following registration, you will be given a list of personal supplies to bring, such as pens, pencils, notebooks, and paper.

TECHNICAL ISSUES (SUPPORT)

If you get an error message such as “The email address you entered already exists” or “The email/username combination is not valid,” you will need to contact your provincial or territorial coordinator. Your coordinator will be able to give you your username or reset your password once you have verified your identity. If a page is not showing up or gives you an error message, try the following options:

Refresh your browser.
Delete your browser cookies.
Enable pop-ups.
Try another browser.

If you have trouble printing the PDF of your Explore or Destination Clic declaration form, make sure you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.

For security reasons, you won’t be able to generate a new password without your username. First, try searching your inbox for an email from the program ([email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]) which will contain your username. These autogenerated emails usually start with your username in the greetings line. If you can’t remember your username and can’t locate it in your email history, please contact your provincial or territorial coordinator. Please note that duplicate applications are not permitted.

TRAVEL DISCOUNTS

You may be entitled to a 7.5 percent discount from VIA Rail. If your institution is located in a region served by VIA Rail, a discount code along with instructions on how to create a VIA Rail profile, and a letter enabling you to use the discount code will be provided in your institution’s information package. Contact information for Via Rail: 1-888-842-7245. Please note that the Corporation of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, the provinces and territories, and Canadian Heritage and its officers and employees are not responsible for any travel-related questions or issues.

USEFUL RESOURCES

There are plenty of resources, courses, and tools available online to support learning or improving French and English. Some links are provided below. The following websites represent only a small selection of relevant content on the web. CMEC does not endorse these sites over any others, nor can it be held responsible for the content or practices of these sites, including practices relating to the collection, storage, and use of personal information. CMEC’s privacy policy is not applicable to these other sites. You are also encouraged to search the web for more other sites relevant to your own interests. Université du Québec à Chicoutimi Fall session: Short French-language learning program (spoken and written) for non-French speakers (12 credits) (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) – 100% online Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Non-accredited language training at UQAM – Distance learning Université de Moncton Continuing education – Courses in French as a second language Western University (École d’immersion française de Trois-Pistoles) Self-paced online course – French as a second language

VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING

Some activities will be held in the evening and on weekends, just like they would if you were attending an in-person session. The host institution will provide you with the daily program calendar.

This information is provided under each session description. Obtaining a credit depends on whether your host institution offers a credit and whether your home institution will accept that credit. Contact your school, college, or university directly to see whether such a credit will be accepted before the start of the program.

The virtual program runs for at least four hours a day, five days a week. The program schedule will vary depending on the location of your host institution and where participants are connecting in Canada. Some instructional and sociocultural activities may occur during the day or in the evening to accommodate different time zones. Your host institution will provide you with the daily program calendar once a place has been assigned to you.

It wouldn’t be Explore (or Destination Clic) without activities! Each institution will find unique and exciting ways for participants to interact with others, make community connections, and discover the rich and vibrant cultures of Canada. Your host institution will provide more detailed information once your spot in the program has been confirmed.

Your sessions will run on average four hours per day, which will include online instruction, workshops, and sociocultural activities. Although the program is virtual, you will experience its full benefits. Your host institution will provide more detailed information once your spot in the program has been confirmed.

Yes. All learning materials will be supplied online by your host institution. Keep pens, pencils, notebooks, and paper handy for activities. More information will be provided by your host institution once a place has been assigned to you.

If you are registered for an in-person session, you will need to travel to and stay in the location where your program is being held. If your session is being offered virtually, you will participate in the program from your home, including all formal instruction, workshops, and sociocultural activities.

Yes. To be eligible for funding, you must meet the program requirements. Funding is transferred directly to the host institution, and it covers your tuition, instructional materials, workshops, and most of your activities.

WAIT POOL

You may still have a chance to participate and will be placed in the wait pool. Funded placements continue to be awarded up until the program begins, so keep an eye on your inbox!