To help celebrate our 10th anniversary we have designed new IGK and IGB brochures. They will be available soon. Also, our newly updated website and microsites are linked to Twitter, Facebook and You Tube. Check them out on thw first page of this site and stay in touch with the latest IGK and IGB news!

IGK now offers a 2 day Wine Knowledge and Tasting foundation program. This program will be taught by local wine expert and travel writer Avery Trent and will be available monthly as one of our activities. Tuition fees are only $300 per person all inclusive. Next program February 18/19. Register now.

Students from Japan, Mexico, Korea, Austria and Switzerland enjoying a tour and tasting at Kelowna's Tree Brewery. Their Cutthroat Ale was the biggest hit amongst the students!

Follow our latest updates on Twitter! 'Intl. Gateway Kelowna' and 'Intl. Gateway Belize'

IGK's welcomes back 2009 alumni, Marcel Kohler. Marcel is from Switzerland and is the first alumni to visit us during our 10th anniversary celebration. The Westside Warriors' General better get prepared to meet him again! Welcome back, Marcel.

Penticton, BC has been named one of the top 10 travel destinations for 2012 according to Facebook. Topping the list is Luang Prabang, Laos, a city well known for its numerous Buddhist temples. As for Penticton, it's described, in part, as a year-round vacation hot spot. IGK offers monthly Wine, Desert and Wildlife Tours to Penticton as part of our school activity program.

Here's the entire description from Facebook:
Haven't heard of Penticton? Well, heaps of folks on Facebook have and are buzzing about this scenic town. With beautiful beaches, a burgeoning wine industry and outdoor activities galore, it's quickly becoming a year-round vacation hot spot. Located in the Okanagan Valley, Penticton draws a variety of active travelers. Rock climbers come to challenge themselves at the world-class Skaha Bluffs, and snowbirds have recently been drawn here now that World Cup Freestyle Skiing makes an annual stop at nearby Apex Mountain. In Salish, the language of the area's original inhabitants, Penticton translates into "A Place to Stay Forever" and with its great weather and beautiful surroundings, it's easy to see why.

Kelowna
Learn English and have a family holiday at the same time in Canada's premier resort destination! Adults, teens and young learners take English classes in the morning either in separate classes or together as a family group. In the afternoon teens and juniors can join the scheduled activity program while adults continue with English classes or have free time to explore the city. In the past we have hosted families from Switzerland, Japan, Brazil, Germany and Mexico for this program.

Families may also wish to plan their own afternoon adventures. Welcome packs include maps and sightseeing information with suggestions for afternoon and weekend trips. This program begins weekly from June to September for ages 8 and up and weekly year round for ages 12 and up. Accommodation options include homestay, hotel, motel or hostel and babysitting is available for ages 3-7.

Hopkins
Do you want a dream getaway for your family this year in one of the Caribbean's most authentic beach resorts? Then you should be planning a trip to IGB in Hopkins, Belize. Family ESL programs begin weekly at our resort campus. Families can customize their program as they wish with 1 or more hours of ESL per day. Our ocean front location provides the perfect setting for afternoon activities like beachcombing, swimming, kayaking, snorkelling, fishing, windsurfing and scuba diving. Organized day tours to the Belize Zoo, various Mayan ruins and the Jaguar Preserve etc. can also arranged. In the past we have hosted families from Russia, Guatemala and Mexico.

IGK will celebrate our 10th anniversary in 2012. We have some very exciting events planned and would like to extend a special invitation to our alumni to join us for a birthday celebration from May 11-13. Please RSVP by March 1 if you would like to attend and we'll send you further information.
Here's a picture of IGK's very first student. Ms. Ellie Yasunaga from Osaka. Ellie studied at IGK for 1 year and now works at Cathay Pacific Airlines. She will get married in June 2012. Congratulations Ellie!

Our schools believe in giving back to our community and to the world not just at Christmas but year round. IGK and IGB are strong supporters of KIVA, Save the Manatee, Kelowna Food Bank and Isla Mujeres Animal Rescue. Consider making a donation to one of these charities instead of sending Christmas or New Year’s cards. The price of a simple card and postage can ‘kick start’ a small KIVA business or provide medical supplies for animals in Mexico. www.savethemanatee.org, www.kiva.org, www.kelownafoodbank.com, www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Isla-Mujeres-Cats-Need-Help/98248199711

2011 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
Our Belize resort campus, Jungle Jeanie's By The Sea, has won a 2011 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence! TripAdvisor awards this certificate to properties who consistently receive excellent ratings from our members. We think our 4 rating is something to be proud of and we hope you do too! www.junglebythesea.com

International Gateway Kelowna recently signed an agreement with Business Hotel and Management School in Lucerne, Switzerland. IGK Cambridge CAE graduates can now transfer directly to BHMS for their 3 year Bachelor degree programs. Study in 2 of the world's best schools in 2 of the world's top tourist destinations!
www.bhms.ch

Looking for a job? Why not enrol in IGK's Bar Management and Mixology Program. This 28 hour program runs bi-monthly for 2 weeks with day or evening classes available.
Perfect for working holiday and work and study students looking for a job in Kelowna and the Okanagan. Bartenders and qualified servers are in great demand at local clubs, wineries, restaurants, lounges, ski resorts and hotels.

2012 fees
$599 includes-program fee, textbook and exam

If you are a hockey fan then you will love Kelowna!
Kelowna boasts 3 teams in different leagues for play from September to April. Ticket prices are a real steal at $10-$25. There are also plenty of opportunites to play recreational hockey if you are already a player. IGK is a proud supporter of the Westide Warriors ice hockey team.

Kelowna Rockets www.kelownarockets.com
Westside Warriors www.westsidewarriors.ca
Kelowna Chiefs www.kelownachiefs.com

Did you know that there are 7 ski resorts within 2 hours of Kelowna? Moreover, you can experience all winter sports and activities at a fraction of the cost of Whistler, Vail, Sun Valley, Vancouver and the Rockies. Due to the semi-desert climate, the snow conditons in this region are awesome and are known as 'champagne powder.' Students may also wish to take a Level 1 or Level 2 ski or snowboard instructors program during their stay. The ski season runs from December-April and plenty of employment opportunities exist for working holiday students as ski instructors and resort staff during this time. Not only is there excellent skiing and boarding in the region but there is also fabulous nordic skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, heli-sking, dogsledding, snow shoeing, curling and of course award winning ice wine to try! Ice wine was invented in the Okanagan Valley at Hainle Estate Winery in 1981.

Check out:
www.bigwhite.ca
www.crystalresort.com
www.apexresort.com
www.silverstar.com
www.skibaldy.com
www.sunpeaksresort.com
www.revelstokemountainresort.com
www.thewinefestivals.com/winterfestival.htm

Dale in the Czech Republic with the Canadian Ambassador, Ms. Valerie Raymond. IGK was the only Canadian school to attend this prestigious student fair and expo.
Over 25,000 students visited the 4 day event.

Due to the popularity of our Cambridge certificate programs we have added summer sessions for 2012. There is always an excellent nationality mix in our Cambridge programs (CAE-80% European, 10% Asian, 10% Latin / FCE-45% European, 20% Latin, 35% Asian). IGK is one of the few Canadian schools to offer summer sessions in both FCE and CAE!

2012 Cambridge Program dates

FCE
January 2-March 9
March 19-June 8
**NEW June 4-August 24
September 10-November 30

CAE
January 2-March 16
March 19-June 8
**NEW June 4-August 24
September 10-November 30

IGK is an official Cambridge testing venue.

Not a winter person? Check out this video from our Belize campus where it is 28-33C year round. Winter doesn't exist in Belize!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CToKeFpP70&noredirect=1

Check out the local music scene from our resort campus in Hopkins. Garifuna music is unique to this region.
http://amble.com/ambler/2011/11/belizean-beats

Students on a tour of CHBC TV station with local TV personality and 'weather guy', Mike Robertson. IGK staff and teachers firmly believe in using the 'city as a classroom' as part of the learning experience at our school.

Students enjoying a recent tour to the Kamloops Wildlife Park. Students had an opportunity for a close encounter with a Burrowing Owl and found out about the park's Burrowing Owl breeding program. They also viewed over other 40 BC animals. Kamloops Wildlife Park only keeps animals in captivity that are injured or sick and cannot be realeased into the wild. Whenever possible they rehabiltate the animals and release them. Students also visited a jam factory, a honey factory, a huge farmer's market and a 'cowboy' department store as part of this unique IGK school excursion. IGK offers Kamloops Wildlife Park and agrcultural tours monthly from March to November.

Stephan from Swizterland is getting the most out of his stay in Kelowna by taking Executive ESL classes during the week and riding a Harley on the weekends. IGK offers a special ESL+Motorbiking program for individuals and groups from May to October. IGK is the first school in the world to offer such a program. Canadian Biker Magazine rates the Okanagan as the best place in Canada to ride and names Kelowna, Canada's Harley capitol. Way to go Stephan you look like you just came from filming Easy Rider!

The Okanagan will host the 2nd largest bike festival in North America, Sturgis North from July 13-17. The festival is sure to attract bikers and biking enthusiasts from all over the world. There is an incredible line up of Classic Rock bands at the festival. Varooom...see you there!
www.sturgisnorth.com

Thanks to Arlana and JC for an awesome design job!

Kelowna's beaches are voted the second best beaches in Canada at the recent Traveller's Choice Awards. Tofino on Vancouver Island was #1 and PEI was #3
Get out and enjoy.......

You Tube Videos
Check out our videos for IGK Kelowna on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCXoGtG3uEc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP54f7nDR1U

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHcbmbFGyrg&feature=related

Check out this great site about investing and retiring in Belize. Why not combine a peronal or family vacation with some English classes at IGB and at the same time look into real estate opportunities.
http://internationalliving.com/countries/belize/