What is Katimavik? Description of the program
Profile of the participants
Participant selection
Coaching staff
The group
Host communities
Work projects
Learning programs Description of the program Katimavik is Canada’s leading national youth volunteer-service program.
For nine months, young people ages 17 to 21 live in groups of 11, in three different communities throughout the country. They work 35 hours a week on volunteer community projects in addition to participating in structured learning activities. Katimavik fosters participants’ personal development through community involvement, training and group life. Profile of the participants Katimavik offers all Canadians between the ages of 17 and 21 an equal opportunity to participate in the program. These young people hail from all types of backgrounds and are representative of the country's socio-cultural mosaic. Many of them have completed high school, but have not yet begun their college or university studies. While most participants do not have much work experience at the outset, they are all eager to learn and experience new cultures and work environments. Participant selection Candidates who have completed the on-line application form must fill out and return the candidate's file:
- Medical form
- Criminal record check
- Questionnaire
- A copy of a document proving your age and your status as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Once Katimavik has received these documents, the application is complete. Participant are selected according to socio-demographic criteria, the approval of the medical file and criminal record check, and on a first come, first served basis. Groups of eleven participants are then formed, ensuring equal representation of men and women, as well as proportional geographic representation. Groups are made up of 70% English-speaking members and 30% French-speaking members. Coaching staff Participants are accompanied by a project leader who is specially trained for the program. The project leader lives with the group in the community for the entire duration of the project. In each region, project leaders are supervised by a project coordinator, who liaises with the community partners along with the project leader. Group life At Katimavik, group life is considered a rich source of learning. For nine months, youth live communally with a Project Leader and ten other people ages 17 to 21, 24 hours a day. A Katimavik group is usually composed of: - a project leader
- one person from British Columbia or Yukon
- two people from the Prairies, Northwest Territories or Nunavut
- four people from Ontario
- three people from Quebec
- one person from the Atlantic provinces
Host communities Groups live in three different cities or towns during the program, two of which are English-speaking and one of which is French-speaking. Each participant spends 14 days each trimester with a billeting family to better understand the culture of the community they are working in. Participants must adapt to each different location, including local food and clothing trends, language, available resources and even the climate. Participants learn to get used to different situations, help each other and adapt: quite a challenge! Work projects Volunteer work projects are supported by partners in the host communities, all of which are non-profit organizations. Katimavik’s partners work in several activity sectors, such as education, helping the underprivileged, social assistance, the outdoors, the environment, special events and the arts. Projects usually include manual or administrative work. Participants may help build trails, organize a pickup of used items, accompany senior citizens on outings, and plan and organize events and activities. The involvement of participants often helps communities to carry out projects that they would not have been able to do otherwise. Learning programs In addition to their work projects, Katimavik participants benefit from a learning program that focuses on leadership, official languages, the environment, cultural discovery and a healthy lifestyle. The educational dimension of the Katimavik program is fundamental. Not only do participants develop professional skills through the work projects, but they also flourish personally through the learning activities. A winning combination!
Apply now for the 2008-2009 program
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