An international youth exchange program hosted across Saskatchewan and the U.S. is working to make the world feel a little smaller by bringing dozens of teenagers together for a three-week cultural camp.
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The Lions Youth Exchange Camp, organized through Multiple District 5 (MD5) Lions — which encompasses Saskatchewan, North Dakota, and South Dakota — welcomed 39 youths aged 14 to 18 on July 5.
Meet the exchange students
The cohort includes 17 local participants from Saskatchewan and Alberta, alongside 22 international youths representing 12 countries, primarily from Europe as well as Taiwan.
Most of the students joined the exchange because their parents or older siblings are Lions members in their respective countries, or because a family member had previously taken part in the program.
Darryl Oster, president of the Lloydminster Lions Club, said the camp offers a balanced mix of sightseeing, community interaction and cross-cultural friendship. During a recent stop in Lloydminster, the group visited Bud Miller All Seasons Park and attended the Onion Lake Cree Nation powwow to experience Canadian culture firsthand.
“You try to give them a nice balance between just having fun and obviously meeting new people,” Oster said. “You watch kids at the start of the week where they’re not confident and don’t know anybody, to the end of the week where they’re best friends.”
Every student spoken with shared that they were having an amazing time soaking up Canadian culture, enjoying the food, and making lasting memories alongside life-long friends. They also noted that they would recommend the exchange program to anyone thinking about participating in the future.
Bud Miller All Seasons Park on Friday, July 17. Taylor Weaver – Meridian Source
Local host families in several Saskatchewan communities provided billets for the visiting teens. Oster noted that building these personal connections across borders helps broaden perspectives for both the visitors and the host communities.
“That’s kind of how I’ve been describing it — it makes the world a smaller place when all of a sudden you know somebody from Germany or the Czech Republic,” he said.
The exchange program took a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, but MD5 Lions has spent the past two years reviving its international component.
Looking ahead to next year, the Lloydminster club hopes to send a local youth abroad to participate in a matching international camp, backed by a $1,500 scholarship offered through the organization.
The three-week youth camp runs through July 26.
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