Katimavik Youth
Program Explained

Katimavik, the experience of a lifetime!

Katimavik, the most important national youth service program in Canada, has been offering service-learning opportunities to youth ranging in age from 17 to 21, for almost 25 years. Participants have the opportunity to acquire interpersonal and work skills, while contributing in community projects.

For seven months, participants live in three regions of Canada (two English-speaking and one French-speaking) as a member of a group of 11 people (plus a Project Leader who supervises the learning experience) comprised of an equal number of young men and women from all parts of Canada, which reflects its cultural, economic and social diversity. The multicultural components of the program also promote openness, acceptance of differences and learning of both official languages.

Participants work as volunteers on community projects, while at the same time immersing themselves in the social and cultural activities of their three host communities. The work projects and group living requirements help participants become aware of their potential and develop their leadership skills to deal with the demands of the labour market.

In order to reach the program's learning objectives, participants organise, outside their work hours, a number of activities in five different fields of exploration: Leadership, Lifestyle, Cultural Exploration, Environment and Second language.

7,000 applications for less than 1,000 places available annually!

More than just an exchange program, Katimavik's service-learning program provides an alternative to many of our youth. Katimavik has already received more than 7,000 applications to fill less than a thousand places available in 2001-2002.

Katimavik's cumulative volunteer efforts is worth over $100 million in many communities that have benefited and much more

Since 1977, Katimavik provided this experience successfully to more than 22,000 people, while providing over 2,000 Canadian communities across the country with the benefit of millions of hours of volunteer work, worth some $100 million (based on the average Canadian wage in the volunteer and community sector).

Economic Impact

• A 1985 Econosult-Lavalin Study confirmed that each dollar Katimavik invested generated $2.43 in economic activity.
• In 1998-99, 900 participants provided 338,912 hours of volunteer hours, valued at $5.4 million dollars (calculated on the basis of the average Canadian wage in the volunteer and community sector).
• Today we invest over $75,000 into each host community (over and above the volunteer contributions we make).
• Using the results of our 1985 study, this means that over $180,000 is generated in each of our host communities. Across the country this equals an added economic activity of over 12 million dollars!
• Since 1977 we have carried out over 2,000 community projects worth approximately $100 million!

Participant Impact

From a study completed in 1999 by the research firm KPMG:

• "94% of former Katimavik participants would recommend the program to their friends."
• "93% of former Katimavik participants consider they now have a much better understanding of Canada's diversity compared to 23% before the program."
• "90% of former Katimavik participants have a job or have returned to their studies."
• "87% of former participants feel they now know how to work as a team thanks to the Katimavik experience."
• "85% of former Katimavik participants say they now possess leadership abilities."
• "85% of former Katimavik participants say they are able to resolve difficult situations, compared to 22% prior top the program."
• "83% of former Katimavik participants surveyed now consider volunteering to be crucial to society's development, compared to 30% before their Katimavik experience."

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