Canada Study Tour & Leadership Exchange Program (8th edition)
24th April – 9th May 2024
The 8th edition of Canada Study Tour started on 24th of April 2024 and 12 chosen participants from all over Poland flew first to Toronto Airport in Ontario, from where they travelled to the Blue Mountain Resort in the north of Onatrio in order to took part in the 3 day conference Global Student Leadership Summit with other Canadian students, and teachers. This edition of Canada Study Tour was proud again to welcome the position of Team Spirit Leader, and Oliwia Sagan, who participated in CST in November 2022. The conference took place in the Blue Mountain Resport – a beautiful place, and started with a small market place, where students exchanged their views with different universities in Canada and leaders, as well as took part in some leadership activities. So after the arrival there was no time for boredom but the students had to emerge into Canadian cultures immediately. Our entire summit focused on 4 quadrants or streams! Each keynote was directed towards one of these 4 topics: mental health and wellness - how do leaders better prepare themselves for the world around them, entrepreneurship/Global Economy - being an entrepreneur is the fastest growing choice of young leaders, environmental Leadership and Impact - we all know that this may be the challenge of this generation of leaders, and school and Community Leadership - in order to change the world we have to first build better schools and communities. The students could also exchange their viewpoints with other Canadian teachers, lectures ad could listen to many distnigued personalities who in their keynote speakers reflected on our willingness to try to be the best versions of ourselves both in professional and private life.
After the conference the student were sightseeing Toronto, went by ferry to the Toronto Island to take some marvelous pictures and enjoyed the big city life. The same day the students left for the Leadership Camp Experience in Scugog and took part in 3-day Leadership Training, went canoing and kayaking, as well as devoted their all time to learn to THINK like a leader and why it is so important.Later they also met with Prof. Helen Bajorek MacDonald and Jean Komarnicki to discuss Polish, Ukrainian and Canadian cultures, as well as other interesting personal issues in Oshawa. They also wrote postcards with messages of support to Ukraine’s Defenders.
Finally on the 1st of May 2024 the participants flew to Vancouver and Vancouver Island where they took part in The students also took part in the Kindness and Empathy course led by Melissa Hoffort, who is also one of the important keynote speakers in CST and helps us to organize Canada Study Tour part in British Columbia. Melissa’s Kindness Course is always the most liked course as students really learn a lot about themselves, and how to love yourself and understand the others. Later they went for a one day visit to Dover Bay Secondary School in Nanaimo and took part in classes. The student loved the Canadian High School Experience a lot! On Vancouver Island the students also enjoyed the hospitality of Melissa Hoffort and Sheldon Saywell – Canadian family with whom they took part in lots of Canadian fun activities. They played street hockey and enjoyed sightseeing Nanaimo. On the 4th of May they went for a beauatiful ocean boat tour to see the wildlife in Canada. That was an amazing experience to see some eagles and killer whales. On Vancouver Island the students also met with Ian Paul Campbell Thomas from Endangered Ecosystem Alliance Organization, which works with First Nations and Organizations to support Indigenous Protected and Conserved areas, who showed to us the Avatar Grove and ‘Canada’s Gnarliest Tree.’ From the 6th of May till the 8th of May 2024 they took part in the 2 day Leadership training course at the Victoria University and listened to the lecture about leading with empathy delivered by the Dean of Social Sciences - Dr Lois Harder. What is more, at Victoria university, Dr Curtis Clarke provided insight on how to best prepare for future through learning. In addition to the leadership sessions, the students also visited some of the most breathtaking and majestic places in Canada, enjoyed the hospitality of many Canadians at their homes and simply also made lifelong Canadian friendships.
