The CISS team of specialists is working on various strategies for students who are intending to start their High School programme in September.
- September Applications – Students can submit their applications to us without the application fee for now, and we’ll defer payments until July (in select locations). That means students can continue the application process without fear of losing money if September becomes impossible due to travel restrictions, the programme not operating, or if they change their minds.
- Orientation Camp – We’re planning to operate several 14-day Orientation Camps for newly arriving students in British Columbia and Ontario to give everyone confidence about their virus status. With comfortable facilities, safe physical distancing protocols, an online learning programme, and leisure activities, these camps will safely bridge healthy students into their fall programmes.
- Medical Insurance – We are working with our official international student insurance provider GuardMe to make sure that students who arrive in Canada in the fall are adequately covered for COVID-19 related health incidents.
- Health & Hygiene – We are updating our policies and protocols for host families and students with input from public health authorities, industry partners, schools, hosts, agents, staff and students. As always, our priority is keeping all stakeholders safe and healthy. Policies and protocols will address questions like, “what happens if the student gets COVID-19 while in Canada?” and “what happens if a member of the student’s host family gets COVID-19 during the student’s stay?”
- Monitoring Cases – We are tracking which cities have the fewest cases of COVID-19 so we can advise students still considering September programmes. Low-density, small communities appear to have significantly lower infection rates than large, dense population centres. Ask us about our school and host family inventory in these areas.
- Programme Status – We are in constant communication with our school board and industry partners to ensure we have the latest and best information about international programmes for September. We continue to watch the situation closely and will advise as things develop.
- Bridging the Summer – For any students already in Canada planning to continue in September but unable to go home over the summer, we can provide summer bridge housing. We have host families ready to support you from the end of your programme in June until the beginning of the new academic year in September.
For more information about High School programmes and/or these strategies, contact us at ciss@cisscanada.com.