Last Update May 5, 2021
We would like to take this opportunity to update you on our Summer Works Student Exchange Program plans for this summer. We continue to see an increase in local public health restrictions as well as interregional and provincial travel restrictions due to rising COVID-19 cases. We are monitoring the situation as it evolves in our communities closely. While we have seen infection rates increase, we are encouraged by the growing vaccination rates and hope we see the various safety measures that have been implemented lower the number of COVID-19 cases.
Our program takes significant time to safely coordinate, organize and plan, interviewing, selecting youth and hosts, arranging travel, planning summer programs and starting the adventure. After careful consideration, we have determined there will not be enough time for the program to start on July 3 as planned because restrictions may not be lifted in many parts of the country in time for us to confirm our travel arrangements. We are committed to running the program only if the situation significantly improves.
But we have good news!
We have been working hard to develop a backup plan. This work has taken time to receive approval, but I am happy to share that our funder, the Department of Canadian Heritage, has approved our plan. Here is a brief description of our summer scenarios.
A modified 4-week program
We will operate a 4-week program from Saturday, July 24 to Saturday, August 21. This will give us three more weeks to carefully assess each community and give us three more weeks for vaccination rates to increase. We will introduce a number of safety measures this year detailed in the attached, “Program Information” document including,
Smaller Groups of four (4) youth per staff down from our average of eight (8).
COVID-19 screening test for every participant, host and staff member two to three days before the exchange starts to ensure no one has COVID-19 at that point.The Program will cover these costs, and details about how this will be rolled out are being finalized.
Introduce modified summer activities and travel plans for increased safety.
Enhanced health and safety measures for pre-departure preparation, travel procedures, and virtual staff training have all been developed.
Although this is our plan for the summer, we will make a final assessment by June 18. If travel restrictions for a particular province have not been lifted, or case counts are deemed too high, we will move to our backup plan as described below.
Backup plan – no travel, local employment
In the event a travel program is not possible in a province or across the country, we will offer a four-week program from July 24 to August 21 allowing participants to remain at home and place them with a local employer. Staff will still develop a complete summer program for their group, but participants will return to their own homes every evening. While we will not provide a full immersion program, participants will be employed, and we will connect groups with a virtual twin in another province where the other official language is used. This backup option will allow participants to work, meet new friends, learn more about their community and safely return home every evening.
Our final option is program closure. This option will only occur if we see cases continue to climb and a possible fourth wave is imminent. Looking at recent modelling from Public Health Canada, this scenario seems less likely, as long as case numbers reduce and vaccination rates increase. This final option will only be initiated in July if we saw broad restrictions and further stay-at-home orders.
You have our commitment we will continue to monitor the situation in our communities closely. We are committed to running the program as safely as we can as we have described above.
We believe this plan will help us run a fun and exciting experience for participants and give us the flexibility to adjust as required. We will share more information as we finalize this plan, but we wanted to share the good news as soon as possible. Please reach out to your Local Coordinator if you have any questions.