Yellowknife’s Collège Nordique Francophone will join the national Explore program this summer, marking the first time the French-language immersion initiative will be offered in the Northwest Territories.
The program introduces participants to the French language and culture by trying to place them in an engaging and inclusive environment.
A cohort of 15 students from across the country will “experience a unique French-language immersion in Yellowknife for five weeks while discovering a new living environment,” the college stated in a news release.
The students will be in Yellowknife to take part in the program from June 15 to July 17, 2026.
Many Canadians are unaware of the French-speaking communities in the North, said Rosie Benning, Collège Nordique’s director of education and training. By participating in the Explore program, she said, students can gain first-hand experience of these communities.
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Benning said she was surprised to discover a vibrant and culturally inclusive francophone community when she first moved to Yellowknife some 12 years ago.
“A lot of people still think French speakers are only in Quebec, but we’re all over the place,” she told Cabin Radio. “There’s people I know that have only lived their lives in French.”
Benning said it made sense for Collège Nordique – which is both a post-secondary institution and an establishment that specializes in teaching languages – to offer the Explore program to post-secondary students.
Having participated in the program already, Benning said the program “had a big impact” on her life as well as that of Collège Nordique executive director Patrick Arsenault.
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When she started the program, Benning said she wasn’t fluent in the language and now uses it every day in work and daily life.
“It is pretty exciting as a first step – or as a step, whether it’s your first or whether it’s part of a person’s language journey that can have a really big impact on building confidence and learning the language in a meaningful way,” she said.
Host families sought
Benning said a student can expect language classes with an experienced teacher in the morning, cultural activities, and different kinds of workshops later in the day.
To introduce participants to the NWT, the college has excursions planned along the Frame Lake Trail, to Cameron Falls and canoeing out to Yellowknife’s houseboats.
Benning said students will stay in a francophone home and the college is now looking for residents of Yellowknife who may be open to welcoming a student into their home.
Each household receives $1,500 as compensation for hosting a student, which the college views as an important investment in fostering meaningful immersion. (The program is funded through a council of Canada’s education ministers.)
“Not only do they get the immersion experience during the program at the college, but also in the host family or a person’s home, where they’ll share meals together and interact together,” Benning said.
An information session will take place on January 29 at 5:30pm for those interested in learning more about hosting a student. People can attend it online or in person at the college.
