For the choir founded in 1970, see Ensemble Vocal Katimavik

For the school, see Katimavik Elementary School

Operating as a government-sponsored youth service program since 1977, Katimavik (Inuktitut: "meeting place") is "the most ambitious attempt ever made at fostering a sense of national unity among Canadians".^[1]

It was started by Pierre Elliott Trudeau's government and then Senator Jacques Hébert as well as then Minister of National Defence Barney Danson. Much of Katimavik's structure was taken from the defunct Company of Young Canadians and the Canadian Cadet Movement.

Contents 1 Overview 2 History 3 Selection process 4 Details 5 Program 6 Cost 7 References

[edit] Overview

The program consists of many groups of up to 11 youths (currently 99 groups in the 2007-2008 program year), aged 17 to 21, drawn from all across Canada who travel together to three different locations across the country over nine months. They are chosen to represent the demographics of Canada. They perform roughly 35-40 hours a week of volunteering in the local community and complete a learning program that focuses on Canada's official languages, protecting the environment, leadership, cultural diversity, and leading a healthy lifestyle. One of those locations is located in French Canada, Quebec, New Brunswick, or less commonly the small Francophone communities elsewhere.

[edit] History

The program grew quickly in its initial years to its peak in the 1985-86 program when there were over 5000 participants. However, the program was cancelled that year by the new Conservative government under Brian Mulroney. Founder Jacques Hébert went on a 21 day hunger strike in protest, but to no avail. The Katimavik program existed as only an outdoor recreational training centre at Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot until 1994. In that year, Youth Service Canada helped Katimavik form a pilot program of 66 participants. The next year, the program was made annual, its budget was vastly increased, and was put under the organization of the Department of Heritage. The size of the program has continued to increase so that for the 2005-2006 session there are 1,155 partipants in 105 communities across Canada. However, due to government cutbacks, there are only 924 participants in 84 communities for the 2006-2007 session. Although the Conservative government was reviewing the program's funding and had instructed the organisation to cease recruitment activities, funding has now been approved for the 2007-2008 session as well as 2008-2009.

[edit] Selection process

Youth who apply to the program are randomly selected based on demographic factors such as mother tongue, sex and province of origin. Selected applicants must submit a completed doctor's examination and criminal record check. Once Katimavik receives these documents, applicants can be considered as participants in upcoming phases of the program. There are four phases of the program in a year, starting between September and November.

This formula is tried to be followed when putting together a group of eleven participants: one from British Columbia/Yukon, two from the Prairie provinces, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, four from Ontario, three from Quebec and one from the Atlantic provinces.

[edit] Details

Participants' housing, transportation and food are paid for by Katimavik. During the program, participants can expect to abide by certain standards of behaviour which fall into four main categories: participation, health and safety,and respect. Participants are monitored by their project leader, one who lives with them during each phase to lead the project. Project leaders can issue verbal warnings, commitments to improve, final warnings, and expulsions if the behavioural standards are not followed.

Participants live, work (volunteer 35-40 hours a week), and participate in workshops and activities with their fellow group members and project leaders. Three groups in close communities form a "cluster" that may often meet up together for certain activities, such as mass orientation and rotation camps (a two-day "camp" in between province rotation). Each cluster is monitored by a project coordinator.

Katimavik builds participants' skills during the course of the program by implementing five learning programs, comprising various essential activities and workshops. Katimavik also implements a learning plan, which uses an AARR educational model (Anticipation, Action, Reflection, Recognition) and follows participants through each community. Participants receive six letters of appraisal (3 from the project leaders, and 3 from work supervisors), as well as a certificate of completion and a $1,000 perseverance bonus upon completion of the program.

[edit] Program

The Katimavik program has many interesting aspects to it, embedded within the program itself. Every group, every three months, is given budgets of varying amounts in each the following categories: Cultural Discovery, Environment, Healthy Life Style, Second Languages and Leadership.This money is spent in ways that correspond to the learning objectives. Each trimester has a different focus, the first being environment, the second being official language (French), and the third being healthy lifestyle. For that trimester the budget for the focus activities is larger than the others.

[edit] Cost

Though there is no cost for travel, food or room and board, Katimavik does not cover all expenses. Certain dental and medical procedures are not covered by Katimavik and would have to come out of the participant's pocket. Participants are paid an allowance of $3 a day, plus extra travel money when between rotations, and are granted a $1000 bursary if they complete the program. All activities planned by the group are arranged under various budgets. Since there is rarely time for any extracurricular activities outside of the program, any sort of group activity expenses are paid for out of the group budget and have to be agreed upon by the group, i.e. bowling, hiking, visiting cultural centers, theater and media presentations, etc.

[edit] References

• Katimavik official site
• Katimavik's Alumni Database
• Katimavik's OFFICIAL myspace site
• Katimavik's Official Recruitment Website
• Katimavik is hiring Project Leaders