Congratulations! You Are Exchanging w/ Stratford! 1

What to Expect During This Meeting I Getting StartedII The ProgramIII Short-Term “To Do’s” – Prior to Winter Break Meet participants Youth Exchanges Canada Info/Resources Responsibilities of Group Leaders Participation Requirements Funding & Expenses Objectives Preparing to travel Travelling and hosting Confirm travel & hosting dates Permission: Collect signed participant consent forms & contract forms (with pen) – due tonight. Thanks! Set lunch meeting for group to team build / build group contract / share info Check school insurance policy and send copy of Insurance Certificate to our Regional Coordinator Collect deposit - $150 2

JANUARY  Parent or Legal Guardian Hosting Contract & Family References  If needed, find alternate hosts  Youth Involvement – participate in regular meetings to continue to prepare for this experience and communicate this with YMCA  Group Leaders - Fine tune itineraries, with student / parent input, complete required paperwork for YMCA & District, communicate with Stratford folks and of course, all of you 3

I Getting Started  Meet participants  Youth Exchanges Canada  Responsibilities of Group Leaders  Participation Requirements  Funding & Expenses  Objectives 4

Meet the Participants Admission Ticket “What do you want to learn from the exchange and why are you interested in participating?” 5

Youth Exchanges Canada (Mark your calendar )  YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada is providing up to 30 KLO grade 8 music students, two music directors and a parent chaperone, the opportunity to travel to Stratford Ontario to participate in an exchange, May 3rd through 9th,  A group of equal size composed of grades 7 & 8 will travel from Stratford to visit us the week prior to our visit, April 26th through May 2 nd, 2015 DISTRIBUTE YMCA RESOURCE FOR YOUTH LEADERS 6

Roles & Responsibilities (See Handout)  Role of the group leader  Role of the group members  Role of the parents/guardians  Role of the YMCA  Role of the facilitator in discussions 7

Participation Requirements  Understand our role/s & responsibilities  Develop & follow guidelines which foster a safe place where everyone feels comfortable and participates  Get to know your twin (a strong twin relationship is key to the success of the exchange)  Explore cultural differences (E.g., during student meetings)  Attend meetings, stay in tune with timelines  Ask questions when unsure  Participate in the journey / Share ideas which makes for a greater experience for all! 8

Funding & Expenses  This program is largely funded by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage, Exchanges Canada.  A budget has been set to cover costs of specific activities while in Ontario. We anticipate it to be in the $500 - $600 range.  Fine tuning itinerary / plans for Ontario & Kelowna  Deposit $150 – by Wednesday, December 8 th 9

Objectives  Contribute to improved knowledge & understanding of Canada among Canadian youth (e.g., history, geography, economy, institutions, cultures, communities, languages and other facets of our country  Help young Canadians connect to one another and create links, help strengthen fabric of Canadian society  Enhance appreciation of both diversity and shared aspects of the Canadian experience 10

Objectives Cont’d…  Contribute to development of leadership skills of young Canadians  Foster a stronger sense of community by providing opportunities for youth to become actively engaged in their own and other communities in Canada  And of course, our goals as musicians! 11

II The Program  Preparing to travel  Travelling and hosting  Confirm travel & hosting dates  Collect signed participant consent forms & contract forms (with pen)  Youth Involvement  After Traveling 12

Preparing to Travel  We prepare to host our twin and to travel to our twin community, Stratford  Collect information  Contact exchange group  Raise funds  Raise public awareness 13

Traveling and Hosting  We experience diversity of Canada by visiting our twin community, Stratford  We learn to see our own community through our “twin’s eyes” when hosting  You may live in a home that may be very different from your own  You may open your home to a new person and interact with peers who may be from another culture 14

Youth Involvement  You are an untapped resource  You can help plan, take on responsibilities and organize activities  Your involvement will lead to a greater commitment to the exchange and a greater ownership of your/our experience together  More people sharing the work makes sense for us as group leaders, too 15

Draft Itinerary for Ontario  Sunday, May 3 – travel / meet billets  Mon, May 4 th – band workshops?  Tues, May 5 th – school performance, St. Jacob’s Farmers’ Market, Stratford  Wed., May 6 th – school performance, Chocolate Trail, Props & Costumes Warehouses, Theater – Sound of Music  Thurs, May 7 th – Niagara Falls, Maid of Mist Tour, Skylon Tower (Dinner/Magic Show), CN Tower (TO), Medieval Times Dinner  Friday, May 8 th – Canada’s Wonderland, Music Festival, return to pm billet activity Stratford  Saturday, May 9 – Travel Home 16

Plans for Kelowna – Need Your Input, Too!  Sunday, April 26 th – Welcome event, YLW; Meet billets  Monday, April 27th  Tuesday, April 28th  Wednesday, April 29th  Thursday, April 30 th – Okanagan FN Welcome / Westside (our students miss 2 nd day of HACE  Friday, May 1st  Saturday, May 2nd 17

After traveling  We will consolidate the exchange by participating in follow-up activities and evaluation exercises 18

What We Gain from the Exchange  We learn to accept cultural differences, understand and appreciate Canadian diversity, and analyze the good and the bad points of the exchange experience  We develop pride in our group’s accomplishments and see how our group and culture fit within the Canadian context  We develop interpersonal, communication, organizational and leadership skills  Working on the exchange plans also helps us build self-confidence and self-esteem 19

III Short-Term Checklist - Tonight’s “To Do’s” lst info night - Complete School District & YMCA requirement Collect signed participant consent and contract forms before leaving (in pen)  Ask for host families and distribute Parent or Legal Guardian Hosting Contract & Family References information (complete process in January)  Distribute Youth Guides  Schedule next meeting of student group – Thursday, December 18th 20

Any Questions Before Paper Work? 21

Consent Forms Signatures and dates signed in pen  Legal Names (as per ID) – must match participant list (Key for Airport Travel, too!)  Address complete with postal code  Name of Parent or Guardian  Emergency Contacts (Other than parent – 2 preferred)  Privacy Statements / Declaration filled out and signed 22

Family References (YMCA Requirements)  Not a relative and names match interview sheets  Verify enough families are hosting to meet twin’s needs  Interviews  At least two for each  All questions answered  Signature and Date on all forms – Interviewer and reference are not the same person  Available - Host Family information form completed with references for families without participating youth We need to verify enough families are hosting to meet twin’s needs in January 23

Note: Hosting, there are references and interviews. District requires criminal record check. 24

First Student Meeting – December 18th  Team Building  Share info of what we discovered about Stratford  Share info of what we want to showcase in our region 25

Next Steps? Prior to Winter Break Have all consent/contract forms today Check school insurance policy &  Send copy of Insurance Certificate to our Regional Coordinator  Pay deposit online to Pam Samaddar – by Dec. 8 th  Students gather information about our own community and twin community  Meet with student participants Thurs., December 18 th (Day after concert) 26

Early January  Fine tune itinerary plans / expenses (Ideas? Pam Samaddar or Chris Perry)  Stratford Info at  Complete host screening  Confirm meeting & rehearsal schedules through to April  Submit application to confirm approval with school board, group numbers, and travel and hosting dates (90 days notice required / Level 5 field trip) 27

Begin Plan for our Hosts  Involve community leaders – MP Ron Cannan, Mayor Basran & Council, School Trustees  Kelowna Tourism  Lake Country, West Kelowna, Kelowna – Chamber of Commerces / Board of Trade  Westbank First Nations – Claudia Hardy contact How can we highlight the best of the Okanagan within a reasonable budget? 28

Students?  Think about how we can collect info on our twin community? On our own community?  How will we record the information? Keep track of resources? 29

Lastly, Input Needed  Stratford Link on Music Department Website or Mrs. Samaddar’s Website?  Schedule Regular Meetings – best night / time – Anticipate Feb, March, April  Ideas for hosting 30