FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2002

A truly international educational experience
On Wednesday, August 7th, the doors will open at Centennial Secondary School welcoming Youth Exchange students from Kunpo, Korea, Belleville's twin city. Fifteen students and two escorts arrived on Monday, August 5th, after a 17-hour trip from their homeland. The Youth Exchange visitors will spend two weeks in our region. Their itinerary is packed full of day trips, plus time in the classroom to improve their English as a Second Language (ESL) skills.

In the classroom, instructor Elizabeth Shantz, an ESL instructor with the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, will expand their current conversational English skills through classroom study, educational programs and games, aiming to break down the language barriers.

Earlier this year, a team of local Belleville delegates visited Kunpo, Korea. Joining the City of Belleville on the Korean Exchange were representatives from the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board and Belleville's Chamber of Commerce.

Larry Langdon, Director of Education for the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, joined the tour group looking for opportunities to create new partnerships for the Board's International Student Program (ISP). The ISP brings students from all over the world to our community to study at a Canadian school. Many international students have hopes of completing their studies at a Canadian university. According to Mr. Langdon, "Our ISP completed its pilot year in June. It continues to be a very successful venture for the school board, and to date we have 13 international students coming from Korea, Brazil and Hong Kong to begin school in September."

For information contact:
Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, (613) 966-1170 x2354