Why families fall in love with Canada
When a family asks me for “a safe country, high academic level and not too many Spanish speakers around”, Canada names itself. Its public education ranks among the best in the world, society is famously kind, and schools run well-oiled welcome programmes for international students.
And Canada allows something the classic American exchange doesn’t: choosing where. A hockey school in Ontario? The Pacific coast with outdoor education? A francophone area to add a third language? You can choose — and choosing well is my job.
How the programme works
School districts manage the public schools, the host families and the minor’s legal guardianship — school, family and supervision under the same public body. Your child joins the right grade (8 to 12), picks electives from robotics to skiing, and lives the year like a young Canadian.
Want a trial run? See summer in Canada. Comparing? The school year in the USA is its southern sibling, and Ireland the closest option to home.