Five local teens to spend summer on Quebec exchange Five local high school students have been selected as ambassadors of Halton and Wellington-Halton Hills and the Province of Ontario on a national youth exchange program. Stephanie Dodds of Acton, Kathy Kwaisuk of Acton, Melanie Ronco-Hornby of Georgetown, Dominique Couroux of Georgetown and Jennifer Brown of Milton travelled last month to Honore-Mercier in Quebec to spend six weeks with the Summer Work-Student Exchange. "I am really looking forward to having more fluent French and participating in an exchange like this one...it is also exciting to meet new people!" said Melanie Ronco-Hornby before leaving. Local ambassadors are selected for their interest in the French language and their enthusiasm for travel and maturity. While in Quebec, they will each have a fulltime job with a not-for-profit organization and spend their weekends with other exchange students taking part in cultural and site-seeing activities. The program is designed for students to gain employment experience and develop their French in a real-world setting through work and play. While the students from our riding are away, their empty bedrooms will be filled by their exchange partners from Honore-Mercier Quebec. With the support of St.Christopher's Anglican Church acting as the local host organization, and thanks to participating not-forprofit organizations in this community, they will put their English to work. The Summer Work-Student Exchange was founded in 1996 and has giving more then 7,670 students the chance to live this experience. This summer, the program will give 1,240 students across Canada the opportunity to improve their second official language, gain work experience and live in another part of Canada. There is no cost to participants thanks to funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage through Exchanges Canada. Transportation is provided by Via Rail Canada. Visit www.summer-work.com for more information.