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Home » 2006 Fall
See The World With A ConscienceThere seems to be no shortage of traveling youth, especially in today’s global culture. From swapping stories at the local coffee shop or checking out someone’s travel blog, it seems that most young, experienced, driven individuals seem to want to travel internationally and within Canada. Logistics such as timing and funding, especially for students and new graduates, can be key hurdles that stop this from happening. School Co-op and exchange opportunities are a great way to travel and overcome these challenges. Internship, volunteer and work opportunities that link up with traveling abroad are also one of the best ways in which one can build experiences, character, and catch that global travel bug that afflicts young people these days. There are countless internship and volunteer/work opportunities through a choice of organizations classified in various fields of interest and geographical locations. INDI Magazine has compiled a list of programs offered to Canadian youth including high school and post-secondary students, new graduates and currently employed professionals. The list ranges from general government programs, international development opportunities, domestic opportunities, and programs geared at specific professional fields. Exchanges Canada is a Government of Canada initiative that creates opportunities for young Canadians to connect with one another. It enables young Canadians to experience the diversity of Canadian communities, languages and cultures as well as provide access to information on exchange programs and activities in Canada and abroad. Consideration is given to encourage the participation of groups traditionally under-represented in exchange programs, such as Aboriginal youth, youth with disabilities, visible minority youth, youth from low-income households, and youth from rural or isolated areas. http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/ Youth Challenge International (YCI) builds the skills, experience and confidence of young people by involving them in substantive overseas international development projects in partnership with local youth-serving organizations. YCI has volunteer opportunities in Canada, Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. This program is sponsored by Canadian International Development Agency. http://www.yci.org/ Canada World Youth program is for students in the age range of 17 – 20 who would be interested in spending time exploring Canada and another country for several months, learning skills such as leadership, teamwork and communication. The Katimavik Program is an opportunity for students who just graduated high school and plan to take a year off before entering university. Participants in the Katimavik program spend a total of 7½ months in 3 different regions of Canada and embark on various volunteer and community projects. Each participant receives a $1,000 bursary at the end of the program. http://www.katimavik.org/ The Summer Work Student Exchange program is a summer work program that runs for six weeks (from early July to mid-August) and is aimed at students 16 and 17 years of age who will be returning to school in September. The program finds jobs for participants in a federal riding in another province in their second official language. This program is a great idea for enthusiastic high school students that wish to improve their second national language skills, gain work experience and discover another part of Canada. http://www.summer-work.com/ YouLead (formerly Youth Millennium project) helps students of all ages make a difference around the world by giving leadership opportunities, being adaptable and connecting with cultures. This program is run out of the UBC campus. AFS (American Field Service) is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities for youth and adults. AFS offers adults international work experience opportunities by connecting them with communities in need. Participants live the cultural and socio-economic realities of the host country. For students, AFS offers an opportunity to study abroad for a year or a semester as well as community service opportunities. SWAP (Student Work Abroad Program) is a program that allows you to cover your travel and living costs, as well as learn more about the world outside Canada. Participants gain international work experience while the SWAP group arranges your travel, helps you settle in when you arrive, and supplies you with job and accommodation resources. Participants must be under 30 years of age. SWAP also provides a program for youth called the Ship for World Youth. http://www.swap.ca Canadian Crossroads International (CCI) Programs offer both work and volunteer opportunities that reinforce links between Northern and Southern non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Volunteers are sent to work on specific projects run by partner NGOs in the South. They focus on projects that address community needs in the sectors of health, education, social services, economic development and natural resources. CCI works in the following countries: Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Senegal, St-Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Swaziland, Togo and Zimbabwe. Applicants must be 19 years or older and placements are between 4 – 6 months. http://www.cciorg.ca |
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