The Fulbright Canada - Maple Leaf Foundation Exchange Program is sponsored by the Maple Leaf Foundation, a Boston-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing mutual understanding between the next generation in both Canada and the United States, and administered and promoted by Fulbright Canada.
Having started in 1995, the exchange program has been in place for nearly three decades and has supported several hundred extraordinary young men and women from the Boston area and from schools across Canada. The goal of the program is to provide high school students in the two countries with an opportunity to experience and understand life outside of their home communities. In so doing, the program has provided a truly transformative experience for so many worthy, hard-working, and deserving students.
The Maple Leaf Foundation partnered with Fulbright Canada in the Fall of 2017 with the goal of modernizing and expanding what has been a truly extraordinary and life-changing program. In the Spring of 2018 ten students from BostonTech Academy travelled to Russell Ontario as guests of Saint Thomas Aquinas School and ten students from Saint Thomas Aquinas then travelled to Boston as guests of Boston Tech Academy. The Canadian students, mostly from rural and suburban environs, were able to experience life in a big U.S. city. At the same time, the students from Boston became acquainted with life in a more less urban environment.
The program offers a combination of academic, cultural, social, and interpersonal experiences. The experience was exceptional for all involved. In 2019 the two schools each sent another ten students on the exchange program, again with tremendous success.
These schools will send another ten students each in the spring of 2020, completing an incredibly successful three-year cycle. See below for dates.
The next cycle will involve two new schools, on from the Boston Public School Board and another from Canada.
Dates and Locations for the 2020 Program
The FC-MLF Exchange Program for 2020 will take place on the following dates.
- Canadian students to Boston, April 24, 2020 – May 1, 2020, draft agenda.
- U.S. students to Ottawa, May 23, 2020 – May 30, 2020, draft agenda.
The dedicated teachers/supervisors from Boston Tech are Lianne Hughes and Martine Henderson, along with their equally committed colleagues from Saint Thomas Aquinas David Brookes and Danik Lafleur.
Testimonials
The trip to Boston was an unforgettable experience. I will always remember the thrill of milling around the big city, the delicious food that was so different from what we eat at home, and of course, Nelissa will always hold a special place in my heart. The days spent at Boston Tech were eye-opening; everything was so different, from the architecture of the school to the way things were taught in the class. Everything I experienced, every place I visited, every new thing I learned about Haitian culture – it changed my perspective of the world and made me realize just how vast and multicultural our society really is. I wish everyone could have an experience like this because some things that I learnt on this trip can never be taught in schools.
Rebecca McFadyen
Grade 11, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School
My favorite part of the Canada trip was when we went hiking at Gatineau Park. I'm from the city of Boston were I usually do not spend my free time hiking in the woods and learning about nature. This opportunity allowed me to get connected discover the different habitats. One fun fact I learned is that Gatineau Park is 361 square kilometers long!
Linda Baptista
Grade 11, TechBoston Academy