Ontarian Penpal Program

The Ontarian Penpal Program is a specially structured program uniquely for some schools in Ontario, specifically the Ottawa region. Though practiced by many boards, the OCDSB (Ottawa-Carleton District School Board) has not only founded it, but organised and structured it for years. The program involves the teacher/professor to inform the children of fictional penpals, in order for the children to write letters to them. Although the penpals are not real, it is occasionally the teacher/professor's responsibility to respond to these letters.

The primary method of ensuring that the students do not find out that the penpals are fake is to tell them that the students are from another country, preferably that speak another language. However this impairs the students from communicating, so they often choose the second language to be the penpals' primary. Though the teacher will evaluate, grading is optional. This is done because students are uninformed it is an assignment.

References

• Ottawa Carleton District School Board curriculum
• Government Education Board FAQ