Feel like going for it, but still have questions? Here are some answers!

1. What is Canada World Youth?

With Canada World Youth (CWY), a group of 18 young people from different cultures live in host families and work as volunteers for six months: three months in a Canadian community and three in a community in an exchange country. Each Canadian participant is paired up with a participant from the exchange country for the duration of the program.

What distinguishes the CWY program from others is that it is bilateral. Not only do you get the chance to discover another region of the world, you also get to know Canada better!

2. Who can take part?

CWY is for young people from all cultural backgrounds, all regions of Canada, and all walks of life! To participate, you must be:

• a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant
• between 17 and 24 years old
• in good health
• open-minded, motivated, and able to exercise good judgement

3. How much does it cost?

To take part in the CWY program, you contribute:

• a $250 participation fee
• pre-program expenses: medical exam, passport, vaccines
• a minimum of $2100 in fundraising. Don’t worry: we will give you advice on how to fundraise effectively!
• your own spending money

CWY pays the rest:

• domestic and international travel
• insurance (life and liability insurance in both countries and health insurance overseas) 
• lodging 
• food 
• educational materials

4. What happens after I sign up?

Here are the various steps that occur between registration and the beginning of the program:

First step: confirmation of interest

• Mid-January: You confirm that you are still interested in participating by filling out an online survey. 
• End of January: We carry out a random selection based on socio-demographic criteria (language, gender, region, and ethnic background).

Second step: medical evaluation

• End of January: If your name comes up in the random selection, we will invite you to submit your medical file as quickly as possible.

Third step: preparation

• Once we have received your medical file, we will invite you to take part in an online chat during which we will give you more information about the program.
• Mid-March: We will carry out a pre-selection process based on socio-demographic criteria (language, gender, region, and ethnic background)
• Mid-April: If you are accepted during the pre-selection process, we will invite you to a preparatory meeting during which you will receive information about the program (its structure, mission, and educational approach) and about how to prepare. It is also a chance for you to meet people from CWY and for you and them to see if the program is right for you.
• In the week following this meeting, you will receive confirmation from CWY. If you decide to accept, you will then be placed either on a specific program or on a waiting list.

5. Can I choose my destination?

Unfortunately, you cannot choose your destination. You will, however, have the chance to indicate your preferences, and we will give them careful consideration.

6. Does CWY have programs in any dangerous regions?

Participant safety is our priority. For this reason, all CWY programs take place in safe countries. If a crisis were to present itself in a country where one of our programs was taking place, a decision would be made rapidly; depending on the gravity of the situation, the program would either be cut short or transferred to another country, or it would be terminated and participants sent back home.

7. Where will I stay?

You will live with two host families that have been selected by CWY—three months with a Canadian family and three months with a family in the exchange country. (You will not be staying with your own family, but with a family in the communities where the program takes place.) Given the type of experience CWY offers, we cannot promise that you will have your own room, or that you will have running water and electricity. We can, however, assure you that you will have a bed. Don’t worry: your living conditions may be modest, but they will be safe.

8. What type of volunteer work will I do?

Volunteer work placements vary greatly, depending on the province and the exchange country in which the program takes place. For example, you could:

• take part in an environmental ecotourism project in Manitoba or Kenya
• work on an agricultural project in a village in Quebec or Mali
• teach English or French to school children in British Columbia or China
• raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in Ontario or India

When you start your program, you will find out more about what you will be doing in Canada and in the exchange country. You cannot select your own work placement, but you will have the chance to indicate your preferences, and we will ensure that they are taken into consideration.

9. Will my counterpart be of the same sex?

As a general rule, counterparts are of the same sex because they live together in their host families and often share a room. Occasionally, counterparts are not of the same sex, in which case each person has his or her own room.

10. Do I have to learn another language?

You do not have to know another language to be selected for the program. But we strongly encourage you to start learning the languages of the province and country in which your program will take place as soon as you know what they are. You will also be able to continue your language learning throughout the program in your work placements and your host families. This will make your intercultural experience even richer!

11. Who supervises the program?

Your group will be accompanied by two project supervisors—one from Canada and one from the exchange country; they are chosen by CWY and its partner in the other country. Your project supervisors will be your main resource people throughout the program, making sure everything runs smoothly and facilitating the group’s learning.

12. What are the rules?

CWY has three basic rules:

1. Respect the law: You must be aware of and respect the laws of Canada and the exchange country.
2. Health, safety, and security: Through your actions, you should seek to preserve and promote the health, safety, and security of yourself and others.
3. Positive and responsible participation: Your behaviour has an affect on you, your group, the host community, the partner organization, and Canada World Youth as a whole. You should make sure you participate in a way that leads to a positive program for everyone and that makes it possible for other people to participate in years to come.

13. Will I have any free time? Is it possible to leave the group or have guests during the program?

You will occasionally have free time, which you may decide to spend on your own. However, one of the objectives of the program is to live a full intercultural experience with your group by integrating into your host community. For this reason, we feel it is essential that you not have visitors or leave the group, unless it is for something serious such as a death in the family. Your project supervisors will discuss this more with you at the beginning of your program.

14. Can I extend my stay in the exchange country after my program?

A group debriefing takes place when you get back, and we consider this to be an integral part of the program. This means that, unfortunately, you may not extend your stay in the exchange country. .