YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada
Give your group the experience of a lifetime!
“These exchanges help create lifelong connections with people halfway across the country, and help our students understand and appreciate the cultural differences that can exist in Canada!”
-Earl Marriott Secondary
The YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada (YEC) Program offers your youth group the opportunity to travel to another part of Canada for a life-changing experience. Group aged 12 to 17 will:
The program pairs groups of 10 to 30 participants together from a different province or territory, staying at least 5 days in each other communities. Youth explore Canada while learning leadership, communication and teamwork skills. By working together on community projects, they will make new friends while discovering the history, geography and diversity of Canada.
We match school or community groups from different parts of Canada for two one-week educational exchanges, which can take place at any time during the year. Preparation, travel and hosting activities provide an excellent opportunity for youth to develop interpersonal and teamwork skills while exploring their own community and discovering another. Youth will:
Each year, over 1,500 Canadian youth participate in exchanges across Canada. A unique aspect of our program is the freedom each group has to tailor their programming to the age and interests of the youth involved, allowing for a customized and purposeful program that fits with your group’s goals.
The program is open to groups of young people who belong to a recognized community organization or school. To participate in the program, youth must:
The roles during the program :
Traditional exchange:
Virtual exchange:
Applications are open to adult Group Leaders applying on behalf of their group! Apply today!
Need more information? You can be contacted by one of our staff by filling this simple form. Learn more
”Youth Exchanges Canada is so key to the personal development of any young person. It is such an enriching experience that I would like to make it a mandatory activity for all young people. It shows them other ways of living and how to interact with people differ-ent than them.”-Intercultural Club, Earl Haig Secondary School
”Throughout the exchange our youth formed an incredible bond and became like one large group where everyone was included. After the exchange our youth have remained connected, both with each other and their twins. They continue to check in with one an-other and have built true friendships.” -Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School
”Creating an opportunity like this has encouraged our students' engagement and advo-cated for the attendance, academics, and attitude that the students need to participate. These attributes have guided the youth from our community to become stronger individ-uals and leaders for themselves, their families, and their Indigenous communities.” -Piyesiw Awasis Community School
”The youth took pride in planning activities to take place in their community of Montréal. It was pleasant to see the sense of identity that emerged from the program” -YMCA Westmound and YMCA Notre-Dame-de-Grace
The YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada (YEC) Program is organized through the YMCA of Greater Toronto. YEC has been offering exchange programs to diverse communities across Canada since 1976, and is celebrating 20 years of funding from the Canadian Government’s Exchanges Canada program in 2020. YEC is grateful for the continued support from Exchanges Canada, a division of the federal government’s Department of Canadian Heritage, which is the program’s primary funding source.
Through participation in the program, youth from across Canada are given the opportunity to learn about Canada’s history and diversity, initiate community projects, make new friends and connections, and develop an appreciation for both official languages. The program has a strong and defined focus on engaging youth throughout the exchange cycle, learning through volunteer service and youth leadership within the program’s coordination.
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