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.
Yes. There are minimum age requirements for each session. Participants must meet the minimum age before or on the first day of the session. For Explore, the maximum age is 15 for the 13–15 age group and 17 for the 16–17 age group. For the 18+ sessions, there is no maximum age limit.
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 ($4,000 and up) along with the costs for travel and personal expenses.
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.
For privacy reasons, we cannot share that information.
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 … Read more
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!
The funding for your place is transferred directly to the institution and covers your tuition, food, lodging, and most of your activities.
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 … Read more
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 institution directly for more information. If you do not respond in a timely manner, your status will be changed to “inactive,” and … Read more
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!
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.
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
If you want to learn or improve the target language, then practising is key! You will get the most out of your experience by getting involved, speaking in the target language with your peers, and immersing yourself in your host community. Each institution has a policy about use of the target language, and these guidelines … Read more
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.
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.
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.
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 … Read more
