Katimavik is Canada’s premier national youth learning through volunteer service organization. Since its foundation in 1977, more than 30,000 young Canadians have participated in Katimavik programs. The organization’s objectives are to impact youth positively by contributing to their development, impact communities positively by putting volunteers to work in the community, and impact the country positively by exposing youth to regional, cultural and linguistic diversity. The Katimavik learning programs focus on the development of lifelong personal, professional and social competencies in the areas of civic engagement, healthy lifestyle, cultural discovery, official languages, communication, environmental stewardship and project coordination. For the 2011-2012 program year, Katimavik will be present in 104 communities in which more than 1,100 volunteers will be dispersed throughout the country.

Katimavik means “meeting place” in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit people.

Jacques Hébert (1923–2007) founded Katimavik in 1977 to foster the personal and professional development of youth and help them gain a better understanding of Canadian diversity through community service.

Consult the Financial partners section

Consult Our mission section

During the 2011–2012 program year, a total of 104 groups, each consisting of 11 volunteers, will be engaging in community projects with over 500 partner organizations across Canada.

Consult the Programs section

Katimavik pays the large majority of program costs, including:

• Transportation
• Housing
• Food and basic necessities
• Program activities

Some programs require candidates to pay application and participation fees, as well as a transportation deposit. The initial investment to participate in Katimavik is more than reasonable when compared to university tuition or the cost of similar programs.

For more details on costs, visit the Programs section

In order to ensure that Katimavik’s programs remain accessible to all Canadian youth, Katimavik has implemented a bursary program.

• Bursaries offered by Katimavik cover application and participation fees.
• The recipient of a bursary is also exempt from paying the transportation deposit.

Eligibility conditions:

• The applicant must provide Volunteer Affairs with a written request.
• The applicant must demonstrate that the cost of participation prevents them from participating in Katimavik.

Katimavik will make a decision based on the information provided by the applicant and the funds available.

No. Katimavik is an intensive program in which volunteers work 35 to 40 hours a week for not-for-profit organizations during the day and engage in competency development and community activities during evenings and weekends.

They can follow correspondence courses and receive postsecondary credits if they apply or already attend a postsecondary institution that is a Katimavik partner.

For more details, visit the Postsecondary credits section

To apply to any Katimavik program, candidates must first fill out the online form and then submit a candidate’s file.

Information and documentation must be submitted by the deadline. Only candidates who have submitted their candidate’s file will be considered for selection.

For more details on the application process, visit the Programs section

Consult the Programs section

The following people cannot be accepted to Katimavik programs:

• Anyone completing a sentence.
• Minors who are currently in a youth centre on court order under terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. 
• Anyone awaiting a judgment or against whom a charge has been laid or may be pending. 
• Anyone who has committed an offence of a sexual nature or an immoral act, as well as offences against an individual or their reputation.

If a candidate has a criminal record that is not in any of the above-mentioned categories, they can be accepted to the program if they have completed all sentences linked to their conviction.

Katimavik has a team of doctors who examine medical forms on a case-by-case basis. All medical information remains confidential; only the medical team has access to this part of the application.

The candidate’s physical and mental health is assessed in the evaluation process. Acceptance into the program also depends on how the candidate’s medical condition may affect their participation and to what extent it can be accommodated.

If Katimavik cannot accept an application for medical reasons, the candidate can reapply the following year, as long as they still meet the age requirement and their health has stabilized.

Katimavik’s community partner organizations offer a variety of work projects in the areas of social services, the environment, poverty reduction, arts and culture as well as sports and leisure.
Here are some examples of current work projects that are making a tremendous difference in the community:

• Social and humanitarian work with the elderly, the mentally handicapped and the underprivileged.
• Involvement in sustainable development projects: landscaping, recycling used materials and raising awareness about environmental protection.
• Working on administrative projects: archiving, developing websites and organizing events.

Community partner organizations are not-for-profit organizations throughout the country that endorse our mission. They may be municipal, community, social, environmental, recreational or other types of organizations. Partners benefit from volunteers’ support to carry out community projects. The number of partners may vary from one community to another.

For more details, consult the Community and work partners section

Projects must offer volunteers the opportunity to learn and acquire professional skills. There must be a range of projects in the community for a variety of work experience. Work sites must take appropriate safety measures. The host community must be able to provide enough medical and educational resources and have a large enough population for volunteers to billet with local families.

Consult The competency approach section

Katimavik’s competency framework allows volunteers to reflect on what it means to work as a team and cooperate in a group environment. Aside from formal workshops on subjects such as problem solving, conflict resolution and interpersonal communication, volunteers’ interactions in the workplace, the community, with their host families and within the group allow them to develop valuable communication skills. They will find these skills useful in everyday life and particularly in future jobs and postsecondary programs.

Canada is a huge country consisting of ten provinces and three territories with two official languages and many minority populations. Since Katimavik volunteers come from a variety of different socio-demographic contexts, volunteers experience firsthand the challenges and rewards of living in a diverse environment. In addition, each host community has its own values and culture. Volunteers observe cultural differences and adopt open attitudes towards social and multicultural realities.

Most of Katimavik’s programs are designed to bring together French- and English-speaking volunteers. Program activities take place in both languages, and volunteers are expected to make an effort to learn and speak their second language and establish a climate of mutual assistance between native English and French speakers. Most volunteers receive formal second language training, and all Katimavik computers are equipped with an interactive language-learning program, Tell Me More.

Healthy lifestyle is a term used to encompass many different elements of personal wellbeing and is not restricted to nutrition. Although there is a focus on planning and preparing nutritious meals, healthy lifestyle also means carrying out daily activities that foster physical and emotional health while promoting physical activity, recreation and open-mindedness towards new living habits.

One of the most common and widely accepted definitions of sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (Bruntland Report, 1987). In Katimavik, there is a focus on adopting ecologically responsible behaviour, being aware of consumption habits and participating in environmental initiatives in the host community.

Civic engagement relates to taking an active interest in the community and engaging with social issues. During Katimavik, volunteers are engaged with their work placements and in the community at large. Volunteers investigate concepts such as solidarity, democracy, active citizenship and pacifism.

Throughout the Katimavik experience, volunteers collect valuable knowledge that helps them make sound decisions about their future path. They also compile a portfolio of reference letters and make accomplishments. They learn practical skills like how to actively research the labour market, and write an effective cover letter and winning resume.

In addition, they have the wonderful opportunity to obtain postsecondary credits through correspondence courses while participating in one of Katimavik’s programs.

These standards aim to help volunteers find practical solutions to behaviours that could interfere with group dynamics and their own experience. This process exists so that they may successfully complete the program, giving them the chance to develop personally and professionally. These standards are applied through a system of warnings, ranging from a verbal warning to final dismissal. The process is explained in detail during program orientation.

Behavioural standards are divided into three categories:

1. Respect
   This category has three levels: “I respect myself,” “I respect others through my words and actions,” and “I respect my environment and community.”
2. Participation
   The level of participation may have repercussions on several program components. It could influence the learning process or the partner organizations where the volunteers work. 
3. Health and safety
   Volunteer health and safety is a top priority and is essential for reaching educational objectives and ensuring a positive experience.

Due to the above reasons and limitations, the Katimavik program has a few specific restrictions. For example, it is forbidden to hitchhike, consume alcohol, or break any municipal, provincial and federal laws during the program.

The probation period starts as soon as volunteers begin the program and lasts 10 days or 3 weeks, depending on the program. During this time, we evaluate volunteers’ health, as well as their ability to adapt to the program and group life. This period and its application is explained further by Katimavik personnel during program orientation.