Government Programs

Government Programs for Youth

Exchanges Canada

Exchanges Canada is a government initiative that provides Canadian youth with an opportunity to connect with one another. Also it enables youth to experience the diversity of Canada through exchange programs. Under the umbrella of Exchanges Canada fall a number of government programs described below.

For more info on Exchanges Canada you can visit their website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/about_Us.asp?Language=0&MenuID=1

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Exchange Programs

4-H Youth Exchanges Canada

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=67&Partner=1

The 4 - H Youth Exchanges Canada is a program established by Heritage Canada in 1977 and it takes place over the summer with groups of 10 – 12 delegates ages 12 – 17 and one adult. This program of reciprocal exchanges takes place between various groups around the country. Participation to this program involves a fee of 100$ and the deadline to apply is February. For more info visit their website or contact:

Jim Washer
Program Manager
930 Carling Avenue, Building #26
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K1A 0C6
jwasher@4-h-canada.ca
Telephone: (613) 234-4448 Ext 24
Fax: (613) 234-1112

Canada Sports Friendship Exchange Programs

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=483&Partner=1

This program was created to foster friendship and better understanding between Canada's Francophone and Anglophone Canadian youth selected from minor sports and school groups across the country. The program is addressed to youth aged 12 – 17, enrolled in high school or CEGEP. There is a required fee of 600$ per group. For more info and application details visit the website or contact:

Naomi Schwartz
Executive Director/National Coordinator
5555 Westminster, Suite 209
Montreal, QC
Canada
H4W 2J2
info@csfep.com
Telephone: 514-482-7108
Telephone: 1-866-732-7337
Fax: 514-482-1605

SEVEC Youth Exchanges Canada

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=69&Partner=1

This program works specifically with school groups or youth belonging to youth organizations. This program puts a lot of emphasis on official languages including exchange opportunities for second language learning and minority groups. The age requirement for this program is 11 – 18 years old and there is a 50$ annual membership fee to SEVEC. For more info about eligibility criteria and details visit their website or contact:

Sophie Buoro
Communications Coordinator
57 Auriga Dr. Suite 201
Nepean, Ontario
K2E 8B2
http://www.sevec.ca
Telephone: 1-800-387-3832 Ext 205
Fax: (613) 727-3831

Summer Work Student Exchange

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=940&Partner=1

The Summer Work Student Exchange program is a six-week (from early July to mid-August) summer employment program aimed at students, aged 16 and 17 who will be returning to school in September. Students selected for the program will have the opportunity to work at a summer job in their second language and in another part of the country. For more details visit their website or contact:

Summer Work Student Exchange
2000 McGill College avenue, Suite 252
Montréal, QC
Canada
H3A 3H3
info@1617.ca
Telephone: (514) 849-5449
Telephone: 1-877-843-6161

YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=57&Partner=1

The YMCA offers youth opportunities to form strong links between their own communities and communities elsewhere in Canada. This program offers particular attention to economically disadvantaged children, aboriginal youth and rural isolated communities. Students must be between 12 -17 years old to be eligible and selection is done based on the educational merits of their proposed exchange. For more information visit their website or contact:

YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada
42 Charles St. E.
Toronto, ON
M4Y 1T4
http://www.ymcatoronto.org
Telephone: 1-877- 639-9987
Fax: (416) 413-1740

Youth Forums Canada

See Exchanges Canada

Action Canada

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=1215&Partner=1

Action Canada is a national program based in Vancouver BC, committed to building leadership for Canada's future through an innovative Fellowship program. Each year the program selects up to twenty of Canada’s brightest young leaders from nominees across the country. The national Fellowship includes three Action Canada sponsored working conferences in Vancouver, Ottawa and a third location that changes every year. There is no age limit on this program. For more details visit the website or contact:

Action Canada
c/o Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University
580 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
V6B 5K3
actioncanada@sfu.ca
http://www.actioncanada.ca
Telephone: (604) 268-7961
Fax: (604) 268-7956

Activate! Conference - Esteem Team

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=1497&Partner=1

"Activate!" is a national conference, organized by the Esteem Team Association, bringing together young Canadians between the ages of 16 and 25, who are currently involved or interested in creating change in their communities, and discovering the value of sports in their communities. This program is designed to empower youth in making decisions in sports in their communities. For more info visit the website.

Canadian International Model United Nations (CANIMUN) Conference

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=1473&Partner=1

This conference is a four-day bilingual event held in Ottawa every March by the United Nations Association in Canada, in partnership with the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Canada. CANIMUN offers a unique pan-Canadian International Model UN experience for post-secondary level delegates from across Canada and around the world. To find out more about this program visit their website or contact:

United Nations Association in Canada
309 Cooper Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K2P 0G5
info@unac.org
Telephone: (613) 232-5751
Fax: (613) 563-2455

Encounters with Canada

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=85&Partner=1

This program offers 26 weeks of programming to young Canadians ages 14 – 17 from various backgrounds in order to get to know each other and experience the diversity of Canadian regions. Those selected to this program will live for a week in the Terry Fox Canadian Youth Centre. For more info visit the website or contact:

Encounters with Canada
1805 Gaspé Street
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K1K 0A4
info@encounters-rencontres.ca
Telephone: (613) 744-1290
Telephone: 1-800-361-0419
Fax: (613) 744-6204

Forum for Young Canadians

Bringing more than 550 senior high school and CEGEP students from across the country to Ottawa, the Forum for Young Canadians explores the inner workings of the Canadian political system. It also offers a Teacher's Conference for up to 16 teachers from across Canada annually. The program is addressed to 15 – 19 years old and its duration is a week. For more info visit the website or contact:

Clare Baxter
Executive Director
P.O. Box 1178, Stn B
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K1P 5R2
forum@forum.ca
Telephone: (613) 233 4086
Fax: (613) 233-2351

Historica Foundation of Canada-The National Heritage Fairs

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=1178&Partner=1

This program is an educational initiative for student’s grade 4 – 9. It enables students to explore any aspect of Canadian heritage by creating a dynamic history project for the public. In July of every year, the National Heritage Fair brings together 165 students from all provinces and territories. Students whose history projects are selected at the Regional Fairs gather together in a special week of sightseeing, historic tours, hands-on workshops and special events in the week prior to the public exhibit of their projects. For more info visit the website or contact:

Jill McCaw
Heritage Fairs Manager
60 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, ON
Canada
M5V 2H8
info@histori.ca
http://www.histori.ca/default.do
Telephone: 1-888-676-3247
Telephone: 1-800-567-1867
Fax: (416) 506-0300

National 4-H Citizenship Seminar

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=68&Partner=1

Through tours of Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court, a viewing of Question Period, a Parliamentary Luncheon and a series of debates on topical issues, this program encourages 4-H delegates to experience first hand the inner workings of the Canadian political process. The age requirement for this program is 16 – 20 years old. For more info visit the website or contact:

Canadian 4-H Council
930 Carling Ave. Building 26
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K1A 0C6
cforrest@4-h-canada.ca
Telephone: (613) 234-4448
Fax: (613) 234-1112

National Seminar - Canadian Student Debating Federation

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=71&Partner=1

This program was created to facilitate youth debate in both official languages. This program allows young students to sharpen their research and debate skills. The program is addressed to youth 14 – 19 years old. For more info you can visit the website or contact:

Tanya Sturgeon,
President, Canadian Student Debating Federation (CSDF)
402 Diefenbaker Drive
Fort McMurray, AB
Canada
T9K 2K3
tsturgeon@telus.net
Telephone: (780) 715-9294

National Student Commonwealth Forum

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=66&Partner=1

Exploring Canadian issues and global issues like development, human rights, gender politics, good governance and cultural sensitivity, the National Student Commonwealth Forum (NSCF) brings students together all over Canada to participate in discussion groups, briefing sessions, simulation games, conflict resolution and consensus-seeking exercises, and a model Heads of Government Meeting. The age requirement for this project is 15 – 19 years old and the duration is 7 days. For more info visit the website or contact:

Charles Gunning
Royal Commonwelth Society - Ottawa Branch
P.O. Box 8023, Postal Station T
Ottawa, Ontario
K1G 3H6
nscf@rcs.ca
Telephone: 613-830-2698
Fax: 613-830-7124

Students Commission Annual Conference: Sharing Resources

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=1217&Partner=1

This program offers youth from all over Canada a chance to get together and discuss issues of concern to them. They develop ideas, recommendations, action plans and communication tools to implement their ideas. This program is addressed to youth ages 14 – 18. For more info visit the website or contact:

Tahmina Farooq
23 Isabella Street
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
M4Y 1M7
tahmina@tgmag.ca
Telephone: (416) 597-8297
Fax: (416) 597-0661

YOUCAN

Website: http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/Exchanges_View.asp?Language=0&txt_Exchange_ID=1470&Partner=1

YOUCAN is a national non-profit organization focused on youth-led initiatives in non-violent conflict resolution and violence prevention, both nationally and internationally. Their mission is to equip and inspire others to peacefully resolve conflicts and develop healthy relationships in their communities. This program is addressed to youth ages 12 – 24. For more info visit the website or contact:

Dave Farthing
Executive Director, Youth Canada Association (YOUCAN)
223 Main Street
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K1S 1C4
Telephone: (613) 230-1903
Fax: (613) 235-5801