Families open their homes to a teenager from one of several countries in Europe, South America, Mexico or Asia, and for 2 to 4 weeks, or even as long as 10 months, have the opportunity to share Canadian family life with the student. Limited opportunities also exist to host students from Quebec who study English in Ontario for 5 weeks in the summer.

One of Red Leaf’s goals is to provide opportunities not only for visiting international students but to our wonderful host families.   There are endless opportunities gained by hosting.  One of the most life-changing aspects in a young person’s life is making life-long friendships.  There is nothing more special to Red Leaf than the bonds created by these friendships.

Calgary hosts the annual “Calgary Stampede”, which bills itself as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”. Each year, the city welcomes more than 1.2 million visitors to this event, which is the world’s largest rodeo. It features an internationally recognized rodeo competition, a midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, Chuckwagon races, First Nations exhibitions, and pancake breakfasts around the city, among other attractions.

106km west of Calgary is the beautiful municipality of Canmore. Over 71 kilometres of multi-use trails within the town limits, World Class Canmore Nordic Centre, 5 major ski resorts, hiking, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, combine to provide an endless array of outdoor activity options.

Cochrane is one of Calgary’s largest towns and one of the fastest growing communities in Canada. Cochrane is situated at the base of the Big Hill in the Bow River Valley. Like many communities in Alberta, Cochrane is known for outdoor pursuits including paragliding and skydiving.

Strathmore is a town located along the Trans-Canada Highway in southern Alberta, 40 kilometres east of Calgary. Their motto “Where Quality of Life is a Way of Life” can be easily understood as over 11,000 residents enjoy the ‘country-living’ lifestyle yet have easy access to Calgary.

Located half-way between Calgary and Edmonton is Alberta’s 3rd largest city, Red Deer. Red Deer is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills focused on oil, grain, and cattle production. The city is a centre for oil and agriculture distribution, and the surrounding region is a major centre for petrochemical production. Because of
the large herds of elk or red deer in this area, it was known as elk or red deer country by the first nations. The Cree called the district Waskasoo, while the Blackfoot called it Ponoka (their words for elk) country. The first Europeans saw that the elk of Western Canada were very similar to the red deer of Scotland.

We cannot forgot to mention “The Dinosaur Capital of the World”, Drumheller. Only a 90-minute drive from Calgary, the town of Drumheller is home to the best Badlands scenery in Canada, the world-famous Royal Tyrrell Museum, and the richest deposits of fossils and dinosaur bones in North America.

This poem was written in the early morning on Monday April 13th by one of the host family moms.

When she shared it with me this morning at the school, it brought tears to my eyes and hers.

I read it to the teachers and children as we were heading for the airport. When I finally managed to finish reading the poem, there was a HUGE applause and then silence. You could then hear the sniffles.

It’s hard to believe two weeks have passed
The time has gone by oh so fast

The first time we met was at the school
The temperature was mighty cool

All bundled in a coat and ready to start
We know there was excitement in your heart

The first little while was really tough
Our love for you wasn’t enough

You missed home with mom and dad
And your crying made us really sad

But we pressed on and spent the time
And you started to feel just fine

So many memories we have shared
We never knew how much we cared

And now this day it has arrived
We know we are glad to be alive

To have shared our lives with one so sweet
The expereince has been really neat

But now it is time to say goodbye
To our new friend who has to fly

With sadness in our hearts and tears in our eyes
We thank you for touching each of our lives

On behalf of Red Leaf Student Programs, thank you for hosting and sharing your experiences with the visiting students and teachers.

Thank you Cindy for such an inspiring poem.

Debbie Beally

The Film and Television Production Camp offers students the chance to produce and edit a film and is taught by the Professor who runs the Sheridan certificate program using the College’s state-of-the-art equipment.

The International Languages and Leadership Camp teaches conversational French or Spanish set in an environment where local and international campers learn what it takes to be leaders in today’s interconnected world.

If any host families in the area would like to learn more about these camps, visit www.redleafsummercamps.com.