Some French Immersion schools choose to organize an extended field trip where students are provided the opportunity to experience the French language and culture in an authentic setting.
The nature of the field trips
In the past, were organized different types of field trips:
- a bilingual exchange with a Quebec school involving a home-stay (reciprocal or not)
- a stay in a French-only outdoor education camp in Quebec or B.C.
- a hostel or hotel or camp experience in Quebec from where students visit cultural sites on day trips
- a combination of the above (camp portion with a home-stay portion, etc)
The most preferable is reciprocal exchange as it offers the richest and most authentic linguistic and cultural experience to complement the FI program.
Funding:
Trips of this nature are obviously very costly and – depending on their nature – involve budgeting for a wide variety of expenses: air travel, accommodation, hosting of Quebec students and/or daily activities while in Quebec, supervising teacher release time and per diem, etc. In most schools, the PAC and/or grade group parents coordinate the necessary fund-raising. Financial support may not always be available. Of interest to organizing committees:
- Most years, Bayside Middle School receives $50-$70 per student from the Provincial Government for offering the B.C-Quebec exchanges.
- Other organizations under the umbrella of the Federal Heritage Ministry may provide grants to help the school fund these trips; Sometimes Bayside Middle school has been successful in receiving support from SEVEC, Canada Sport Friendship Exchange Program, and the YMCA.
- Grant money does not cover all expenses or costs.
- Federal funding is available only for reciprocal home-stay exchanges and is not guaranteed in successive or consecutive years.
