Long time no see! Mardi (International Department Intern) checking in again!
There is so much to report on, but to write all of our adventures would be to write a novel. We’ve accomplished so much.
Today I will touch on the mid-point check-in which took place this past Monday. We do this check-in to make sure the exchange is staying on track and to find ways of improving the remainder of the program. It is also a way to find out challenges the youth have (hopefully) overcome and to check their overall experience so far in the exchange.
Everyone was very excited when they returned from camp and their proficiency in English was a testament of its success. Our youth experienced canoeing and archery for the first time and this sparked a vision of day camp in Medellin. According to the youth, there are plans to have day camp in Medellin but nothing is actually in motion. It will be interesting to see the metamorphosis of this in the future.
The youth are very grateful for the patience people have exhibited in Toronto, but anxious about the time they have left. The amount of learning which has occurred on both sides of the exchange has been immense. Here is a quote from Monica:
“When I was with the kids at camp, I shared five activities. They combined knowledge, jokes and learning. My host family, they are interested in the feminist movement and I taught them about feminist politics in Antioquia and Medellin.”
Since the youth have returned from camp, they have been very busy. Laura has been spending a lot of her time with YMCA Childcare Centres playing and teaching games to the children and Ciro has been showing off his skills in hip hop to anyone who has been interested. All of the youth have also participated in various workshops and given presentations at YMCA centres throughout the Greater Toronto Area. This doesn’t mean we haven’t been having fun however!
This week we spent some time touring Queen’s Park and got the chance to speak to Nora, a past exchange participant, to gain some insight into Ontario and Canadian politics. We also took part in a sign language workshop with the NYLD and toured the Art Gallery of Ontario.
It was very interesting to visit YMCA House in downtown Toronto. Through an open dialogue, myself and my colleagues learned that Medellin does not have any housing programs for the homeless because the government does not support it financially. Monica took a particular interest to this because of her field of study and it was clear that the wheels were rolling in her head. I'm sure she will do amazing things with the information and knowledge that she gained. We have so much faith in our Colombian youth and there is no doubt that they will utilize their learning to make their home a better place.
Many pictures were taken, many friends were made and many more adventures will come our way.
Stay tuned
There is so much to report on, but to write all of our adventures would be to write a novel. We’ve accomplished so much.
Today I will touch on the mid-point check-in which took place this past Monday. We do this check-in to make sure the exchange is staying on track and to find ways of improving the remainder of the program. It is also a way to find out challenges the youth have (hopefully) overcome and to check their overall experience so far in the exchange.
Everyone was very excited when they returned from camp and their proficiency in English was a testament of its success. Our youth experienced canoeing and archery for the first time and this sparked a vision of day camp in Medellin. According to the youth, there are plans to have day camp in Medellin but nothing is actually in motion. It will be interesting to see the metamorphosis of this in the future.
The youth are very grateful for the patience people have exhibited in Toronto, but anxious about the time they have left. The amount of learning which has occurred on both sides of the exchange has been immense. Here is a quote from Monica:
“When I was with the kids at camp, I shared five activities. They combined knowledge, jokes and learning. My host family, they are interested in the feminist movement and I taught them about feminist politics in Antioquia and Medellin.”
Since the youth have returned from camp, they have been very busy. Laura has been spending a lot of her time with YMCA Childcare Centres playing and teaching games to the children and Ciro has been showing off his skills in hip hop to anyone who has been interested. All of the youth have also participated in various workshops and given presentations at YMCA centres throughout the Greater Toronto Area. This doesn’t mean we haven’t been having fun however!
This week we spent some time touring Queen’s Park and got the chance to speak to Nora, a past exchange participant, to gain some insight into Ontario and Canadian politics. We also took part in a sign language workshop with the NYLD and toured the Art Gallery of Ontario.
It was very interesting to visit YMCA House in downtown Toronto. Through an open dialogue, myself and my colleagues learned that Medellin does not have any housing programs for the homeless because the government does not support it financially. Monica took a particular interest to this because of her field of study and it was clear that the wheels were rolling in her head. I'm sure she will do amazing things with the information and knowledge that she gained. We have so much faith in our Colombian youth and there is no doubt that they will utilize their learning to make their home a better place.
Many pictures were taken, many friends were made and many more adventures will come our way.
Stay tuned
