Choosing UNISUS Boarding vs. a Homestay Program

Boarding schools and homestay programs both offer unique advantages for students seeking an educational experience away from home.

Boarding schools provide a structured and immersive environment where students live on campus, fostering independence, self-discipline, and a strong sense of community. This setup can promote academic excellence and personal growth, as students are surrounded by peers and educators 24/7, enabling them to engage in extracurricular activities and benefit from a rigorous curriculum.

Homestay programs are sometimes chosen by international families seeking a more culturally immersive experience as students live with host families, allowing them to become deeply entrenched in the local culture and language.

At UNISUS, boarding students spend the whole day with local Canadian students with domestic students making up 56% of the school population in grades 7-12. Also, from a nationality mix perspective, we currently have students from 12 nationalities represented in boarding, with no more than 15% from any nationality.

Most teachers and boarding staff are Canadians, and domestic students often stay for sleepovers, as well as having some domestic students on weekday programs.  Also, students activities are strongly enmeshed into the local community, providing further opportunity for cultural immersion.  With the domestic experience, mixed with a mix of international boarding students, we provide a balance between an authentic Canadian experience, as well providing a rich mixture of international perspectives.

The structured weekend adventure program enables students to engage in a range of outdoor activities available right at the UNISUS doorstep over the four seasons, from rock climbing to kayaking to mountain biking and skiing as well as local cultural events.

At UNISUS, we provide an exceptional boarding program experience, with a strong network that ensures the safety, health and comfort for each student.  Our community is a secured, gated facility, and a strong boarding parent program ensures the safety of each student at all times.  Furthermore, our study hall and homework tutoring enables each students has the support to not only complete their homework, but to thrive academically through this extra support. 

Sometimes international families choose homestays to ensure their students speak english - at UNISUS, our ELL program and breadth of mix of nationalities will ensure an immersive english exposure and language acquisition support. 

The choice between boarding school and homestay ultimately depends on an individual's goals, preferences, and the kind of experience they seek.