Ottawa-Carleton Education Network

What Ottawa-Carleton Education Network does

Ottawa-Carleton Education Network (OCENET) is a not-for-profit corporation founded around 2001 and operating under the governance of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). It is headquartered at 440 Albert Street in Ottawa, Ontario, and staffed by 13-14 full-time personnel led by Executive Director Geoff Best. The organization administers international education programs for OCDSB, including the Ottawa International Student Program (OISP) for full-year and graduating-track international students earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), the International Certificate Program (ICP) currently enrolling 450+ students across all OCDSB high schools, short-term immersion offerings (Summer English Explorer, Winter English Explorer, Global Classroom), and Teacher Development Programs covering TESOL, CLIL, and Leadership Training for educators from partner countries.

OCENET operates reciprocal cultural exchanges with school districts in China (Chengdu/Chenghua since 2016), France (L'académie d'Aix-Marseille, 5-week program since 2017), Japan (Yamate Gakuin since 2016, plus Osaka Gakugei), and South Korea (Jeju since 2016), and added a Vietnamese partnership with EBIV in November 2022. The Global Explorers program, launched in 2020, links grade 5-6 students in Ottawa with peers in Chengdu and France on UN Sustainable Development Goals through virtual collaboration.

Revenue is generated primarily through international student tuition, exchange and short-term program fees, and teacher development fees, with supplementary support from the Ontario Ministry of Education, the Ottawa Education Foundation, and partner organizations such as Canada Homestay Network, ISE Ontario, and YES CANADA. University pathway scholarships (Carleton University, Huron at Western, TAEJAE University) extend the funnel into post-secondary education. OCENET does not operate proprietary technology; it uses standard educational web tools, the Rallyonline application platform, and a quarterly Global Connections newsletter for program delivery and marketing. Financial figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Ottawa-Carleton Education Network

Legal name

Ottawa-Carleton Education Network

Website

https://ocenet.ocdsb.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OCENET is a not-for-profit education network under OCDSB that runs international student programs, short-term English immersion, teacher development, and cultural exchanges with partner districts across six countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. International Student Tuition: International students pay fees to study in OCDSB schools through OCENET's Ottawa International Student Program. Students pay for school placement, homestay arrangements, and support services.
2. Exchange Program Fees: Fees collected for organized exchange programs including Ottawa-France Cultural Exchange (5-week), Ottawa-Japan Cultural Exchange (2-week), and Ottawa-China Cultural Exchange (10-day to 12-day programs).
3. Summer/Short-Term Program Fees: Revenue from Summer English Explorer, Winter English Explorer, and Global Classroom programs for international students seeking short-term English immersion experiences.
4. Teacher Development Program Fees: Fees from international teachers participating in professional development programs including TESOL training, leadership programs, and English and Content-based teaching (CLIL).

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ottawa-Carleton Education Network (OCENET) is a not-for-profit corporation that operates international education programs within the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. It places international students in OCDSB schools for academic study (one semester to full OSSD graduation), runs short-term English immersion and cultural programs, delivers teacher professional development (TESOL, CLIL, Leadership), and coordinates reciprocal student exchanges with partner countries. Supporting services include homestay placement, academic advising, and bursary administration.

Product overview

OCENET (Ottawa-Carleton Education Network) is a not-for-profit corporation operating within the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, offering a portfolio of international education programs and services. The core offerings include the Ottawa International Student Program (OISP) for full-year international students, the Global Classroom Program for school immersion experiences, Summer and Winter English Explorer Programs for short-term language learning, Teacher Development Programs (TESOL, CLIL, Leadership Training), and the International Certificate Program (ICP) for grades 9-12 recognizing global citizenship. Academic Programs enable students to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with options for AP and IB studies. Student exchange programs connect OCDSB students with peers in France, Japan, and China through reciprocal homestay exchanges ranging from 2 weeks to 5 weeks. The Global Explorers program facilitates virtual collaborations between elementary students on UN Sustainable Development Goals. Financial support is provided through student bursaries ($250-$1,000), the Lynch-Getty Award ($1,000 to four students annually), and staff bursaries for professional development. Over more than two decades, OCENET has brought several thousand students and hundreds of educators to OCDSB from different countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ottawa International Student Program (OISP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 450 students currently enrolled in International Certificate Program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EBIV Joint Stock Company (Vietnam)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 November 2022Partnership with Vietnamese education organization (Edu2Review and StudyNow) to explore education opportunities. First collaboration is joint English language training program with OCDSB teachers providing online instruction on becoming 'Global Citizens'.
• Chengdu/Chenghua Education BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Since 2016, OCDSB and Chengdu Chenghua Municipal Education Bureau have cooperated on teacher training, exchanges, leadership delegations, visits, and student-to-student virtual collaborations. Grade 5-6 students collaborate virtually on UN Sustainable Development Goals. Partnership includes reciprocal student exchanges and Chinese Embassy cooperation.
• L'académie d'Aix-Marseille, Région académique Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Formal MOU with French education academy for numerous student exchanges including 5-week reciprocal exchanges at Colonel By and Woodroffe high schools. French language students collaborate across multiple class levels.
• Osaka Gakugei High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Osaka Gakugei Exchange Program where high-school students from Japan and Canada experience each other's countries by studying and living abroad.
• Yamate Gakuin High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Since 2016, OCDSB students and Yamate Gakuin students participate in bi-annual reciprocal cultural exchanges. Japanese students visit Ottawa in April of even-numbered years; OCDSB students travel to Japan in July/August.
• Jeju School District (South Korea)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Since 2016, OCENET and OCDSB partner with Jeju school district. Teachers spend weeks/months in Ottawa training; students and administrators travel to Jeju. OCDSB students attend Jeju Youth International Forum with 150+ students from 40 cities.
• Korean Cultural CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKorean Cultural Center in Ottawa hosts ICP students annually in December for presentations on South Korea-related topics researched by peers, traditional games, and Korean meals.
• Canada Homestay NetworkminorOthersExternal organization providing homestay services and support for international students in the OCDSB program.
• Carleton UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCarleton University offers 10 annual scholarships of up to $1,000 for ICP graduates enrolling in Bachelor of Global and International Studies program.
• Huron at Western UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHuron at Western University offers $1,000 scholarships to ICP graduates for post-secondary studies.
• TAEJAE UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTAEJAE University in Seoul offers scholarships for 4 years for students enrolling in September 2024.
• Ontario Ministry of EducationcoreOthersGovernment oversight and funding body for OCDSB, the parent organization of OCENET.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: Global private language-education incumbent offering short-term English immersion and academic year abroad programs that overlap with OCENET's Summer/Winter English Explorer and Academic Programs.
• Kaplan International Languages: Global language school operator running English immersion and academic pathway programs that compete for the same international student demographic OCENET serves in Canada.

Direct peers

• Peel District School Board International Students: Large Ontario school district operating an international student admissions program for secondary students, offering a directly competing pathway to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
• Calgary Board of Education International Student Program: Alberta public school board running an international student program for grades K-12, offering semester and full-year enrollment plus homestay placement, directly comparable in structure to OCENET's OISP.
• Vancouver School Board International Education Program: BC-based public school district operating a near-identical model of recruiting international secondary students, arranging homestays, and delivering the BC Dogwood Diploma alongside Canadian peers.
• Toronto District School Board International Student Program: Large Ontario school board running a directly comparable international student program (tuition, homestay, semester/graduation tracks) that competes with OCENET for the same source-market students in Canada.
• York Region District School Board International Education Services: Neighboring Ontario school district with an international student and summer program serving high-school-age learners from East Asia and other source markets.

Others

• Languages Canada: National association representing accredited English and French language programs in Canada, providing the industry standards and accreditation framework within which OCENET's language programs operate.
• Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE): National non-profit that promotes Canada as a study destination and supports international student mobility, with programs and policy work directly relevant to OCENET's inbound international student mission.
• Study in Canada / EduCanada (Government of Canada): Government of Canada's official international student recruitment brand, channeling prospective students to Canadian K-12 and post-secondary providers including district-school programs like OCENET.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ottawa-carleton-education-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ottawa-Carleton Education Network