“Katimavik changed me as a person, wholly. It has evolved and enriched my concepts of community and of myself as a leader and community member.”
Tyler Walker – Goose Bay, Labrador
“Katimavik changed me as a person, wholly. It has evolved and enriched my concepts of community and of myself as a leader and community member.”
Tyler Walker – Goose Bay, Labrador
“I completed the program when I was twenty-one and I wouldn’t be who I am today without it. I discovered the career I aspired to and achieved, I was challenged in ways that I never imagined and build my confidence in my second language.”
Ashley Smith – Gatineau, Québec
“I went into the program as a boy and left as a man. It opened my eyes to the world. This is by far the best youth program there has been in Canada… I’m ready to pay forward.”
Jean-François Tremblay – Gatineau, Québec
“The Katimavik participants have enabled us to dream more, do more, and achieve more. Their participation has energized our organization in a way we did not anticipate, the joy of working with young Canadians who want to give back to the community and help those who are less fortunate. Their commitment encourages the rest of us.”
Craig Evans – Growing Opportunities Farm Co-op – Nanaimo, British Columbia
“Overall, our experience with Katimavik has been amazing. All of the volunteers that have been placed with us have been a great addition to our team. Each volunteer had their own unique skills and were able to contribute something unique to our centre.”
Anna Parenteau – Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Centre Inc – Winnipeg, Manitoba
“The Katimavik program has been essential to Inn from the Cold over the past year. The volunteers have contributed in so many ways with each department within the organization, providing essential support to vulnerable children and families. They have renewed the excitement of staff for the work that we do and the city we live in.”
Meg Kominek – Inn from the Cold – Calgary, Alberta
Participating with Katimavik becomes one of those pivotal moments: taking a gap year is a great opportunity to develop distinct personal and professional skills that will bring you out of your comfort zone and allow you to thrive! Your participation becomes an indispensable resource for the community, building stronger social relations and sustainable connections, as well as developing skills that will allow you to be an effective agent of change.
Since 1977, over 36 000 alumni have taken part in a Katimavik program.
Our extensive history demonstrates that thousands of young Canadians bring positive change and become part of the communities they participate in. Over 1,000 communities, across the country have been transformed and enriched by the contributions of our participants.
Each one of our alumni agrees that once you have lived the Katimavik experience, you know that you become part of a family, build and maintain strong relationships, share precious moments of laughter and learn through success and failure, important life lessons.
Their stories demonstrate the powerful impact that Katimavik has had on their future…an experience that has brought them to grow, raise awareness on environmental issues, as well as becoming committed to building strong and sustainable communities all across the country.
More than ever, Katimavik alumni need to be united, connected, and involved to protect and promote our legacy.
Follow our alumni’s groups on social networks to stay in touch with how they continue to make a difference in their communities.
It’s also the only group actively moderated by the Katimavik Alumni Association, which means it is your best place to have questions answered and interests promoted.
Participants provide communities with much-needed help and work on the development of social community projects. These projects promote civic engagement in young adults by allowing them to autonomously elaborate and implement mutually beneficial relationships with host communities. The legacy projects implemented by Katimavik Participants leaves an enduring and relevant impact on communities.
Investing in youth volunteer service leads to positive social and economic returns. The national program generates a return on investment of $ 2.20 for each dollar invested. Producing a net return of $ 1.20 directly in the communities that work with our participants.
Considering the current mid-range minimal wage in Canada ($11.06), the projected value of the 5,439 participants (over the first five years) dedicating 4.6 million volunteer hours would exceed $50 million, thus yielding significant incremental economic multiplier effects for community services, and leveraging the federal government’s return on investment in Katimavik.
A 2016 independent study conducted by the firm Léger Marketing demonstrates that Katimavik is well perceived in Canada and highlights the importance of investing in “youth services” to generate social and economic benefits.
Among Canadians who know Katimavik enough to have an opinion, 98% have a good perception of this organization, without distinction between youth (17-24 years) and older Canadians. The positive image of Katimavik is mainly driven by its mission to support youth development.
88% of Canadians think Katimavik is important as a volunteering program.
75% of Canadian students aged 17-24 years plan or would like to take time off during or after their studies for new experiences or adventures, or to develop new skills.
50% of young Canadians are curious and want to develop entrepreneurial skills. Close to 50% of Canadians aged 17-24 years feel they lack the skills to enter the work market, particularly members of visible minorities.
59% of former participants and employees volunteer in their communities compared to 38% among other Canadians. Canadians volunteer fewer than 10 hours annually while the majority of former participants devote up to 50 hours a year to a cause.
88% of former Katimavik participants or employees donate to non-profit organizations compared to 75% among other Canadians. And people who went through a Katimavik program appear to be more generous than those who did not.
A 2013 study of AmeriCorps’ programs showed that they perform a vital service in giving youth productive competencies, human capital and social skills, while at the same time helping communities. They provide immediate services of value, as well as build human and social capital for the future. Society’s benefit of national services by youth is 3.95 times greater than the cost.
At the Canadian level, Katimavik’s 2006 independent program evaluation suggests that the Katimavik core program generates net positive returns based on the value of the participant labour and other induced economic benefits. It calculated that each dollar spent by the Katimavik program generated a return of $2.20 at the community level, for a net return of $1.20.
The issues targeted by Katimavik are in large part the same as those of The United Nations Economic and Social Council, which recognized Katimavik as a consultative member in 2008. Specifically, Katimavik works with community partner organizations engaged in:
In order to contribute towards improving the social and economic wellbeing of your community, Katimavik works with organizations and collective community projects that serve the vulnerable, disadvantaged or marginalized populations, such as:
Katimavik participants become active members of Canadian communities through: