Canada World Youth
Encyclopedia
Canada World Youth is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing dynamic youth, ages 15–25, with an opportunity to learn about other communities, cultures and people while developing leadership and communications skills.
Founded in 1971 by the late Honourable Jacques Hébert (Canadian politician)
(1923–2007) a former Canadian senator and lifelong supporter of promoting youth and international development programs; Canada World Youth has sent over 31,000 youth volunteers to participate in its international volunteer programs.
- 3 months in a Canadian community
- 3 months in a community in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, or Latin America
Each young Canadian is matched with a participant from the exchange country for the entire period.
This is a unique opportunity to become involved as a volunteer, discover other cultures, learn another language, and become a true citizen of the world!
A program for schools or youth groups interested in developing academic or educational trips overseas. Length varies between 2 weeks and 3 months; for groups of young people aged 15 and up.
The Canada World Youth InterAction program offers 2-6 week educational projects in an overseas community where participants will live with a local host family and be actively engaged in a development project.
Development Project focus:
Health: Educational project designed to inform the local population on healthy living practices and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Environment: Education project design to inform the local population on the importance of sustainable environmental practices.
The conclusions of this study speak volumes: through its innovative model based on non-formal education, the CWY program has a profound, long-lasting impact on participants and members of host communities.
Sample and method
The study was conducted:
- with 578 past participants and host community members who had taken part in programs between 1993 and 2003;
- in five countries that had hosted CWY programs: Benin, Canada, Cuba, Thailand, and Ukraine.
Key results
Past participants indicate that the CWY program:
has a remarkable influence on their values and attitudes (open-mindedness, self-confidence) and on their knowledge of themselves and of another country;
allows them to hone their communication, learning, and organizational skills;
provides the opportunity to forge lasting friendships and make professional contacts that remain useful long after the program has ended.
Members of host communities feel that the CWY program:
has a lasting impact, particularly with regard to interpersonal relationships, values, attitudes, and knowledge of another country;
is a window on Canadian and international diversity and today's youth.
Final Report
See the complete results of the CWY Impact Study }
1972-1973
The first groups of young Canadians are sent to Cameroon, Malaysia, Mexico, Tunisia, and the former Yugoslavia.
1981
Ten years after its creation, CWY is running educational programs between Canada and more than twenty-five countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
1989
The Netherlands creates a program inspired by the CWY model. (Sweden and Great Britain follow suit in 1993 and 1999, respectively.)
1991
CWY runs its first programs with schools and youth groups. Since then, hundreds of high school and college students have had the chance to learn about international cooperation and solidarity through the Global Learner program.
1994
CWY runs its first programs with partners in Central and Eastern Europe.
1996
Jacques Hébert's book Hello, World!, in which he describes the creation of Canada World Youth, is published.
1996-1997
CWY participants meet with Team Canada in Mumbai, India (January 1996) and in Thailand (January 1997).
1997
CWY participants become eligible for a college-level certificate through Cégep Marie-Victorin. Afterwards, several other colleges and universities also begin to offer equivalencies and academic credit to CWY participants, confirming the educational value of CWY programs.
1999
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien meets with CWY participants during his official visit to Poland.
CWY becomes the lead agency of the NetCorps Canada International coalition, an innovative program focusing on information and communication technologies and funded by Industry Canada.
The first world conference of CWY past participants is held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
2001
CWY celebrates its 30th anniversary.
2003
With support from the "Canada Fund for Africa" administered by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), CWY creates fifty new trilateral programs with African partners: the Africa-Canada Eco-leadership Programs (ACELP).
2004
Canada Corps awards one of its first grants to the NetCorps coalition, which includes Canada World Youth.
2006
CWY celebrates its 35th anniversary! Approximately one hundred cities across Canada proclaim the week of October 15 to 21, 2006 to be Canada World Youth week.
An extensive evaluation project concludes that the CWY program has a positive and lasting impact on its young volunteers and on host community members.
2007
Jacques Hébert, the founder of Canada World Youth, passes away (1923–2007). His work has led to the creation of thousands of young global citizens who are equipped to cultivate tolerance and resolve conflict in constructive and peaceful ways.
Founded in 1971 by the late Honourable Jacques Hébert (Canadian politician)
Jacques Hébert (Canadian politician)
Jacques Hébert, OC was a Canadian author, journalist, publisher, Senator, and world traveler having visited more than 130 countries.-History:...
(1923–2007) a former Canadian senator and lifelong supporter of promoting youth and international development programs; Canada World Youth has sent over 31,000 youth volunteers to participate in its international volunteer programs.
Mission
Canada World Youth's mission is to increase the ability of people, and especially youth, to participate actively in the development of just, harmonious, and sustainable societies.Programs
In the Youth Leaders in Action program, a team of 9 young Canadians and 9 young people from a partner country spend 6 months together doing volunteer work:- 3 months in a Canadian community
- 3 months in a community in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, or Latin America
Each young Canadian is matched with a participant from the exchange country for the entire period.
This is a unique opportunity to become involved as a volunteer, discover other cultures, learn another language, and become a true citizen of the world!
A program for schools or youth groups interested in developing academic or educational trips overseas. Length varies between 2 weeks and 3 months; for groups of young people aged 15 and up.
The Canada World Youth InterAction program offers 2-6 week educational projects in an overseas community where participants will live with a local host family and be actively engaged in a development project.
Development Project focus:
Health: Educational project designed to inform the local population on healthy living practices and preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Environment: Education project design to inform the local population on the importance of sustainable environmental practices.
Impact Study
Thousands of young people from Canada and around the world assert that Canada World Youth (CWY) has had a profound impact on their lives. To better understand this impact, CWY carried out an ambitious evaluation project in 2005. The objective was to measure the outcomes of CWY programs, not only on past participants, but also on the communities that had hosted them.The conclusions of this study speak volumes: through its innovative model based on non-formal education, the CWY program has a profound, long-lasting impact on participants and members of host communities.
Sample and method
The study was conducted:
- with 578 past participants and host community members who had taken part in programs between 1993 and 2003;
- in five countries that had hosted CWY programs: Benin, Canada, Cuba, Thailand, and Ukraine.
Key results
Past participants indicate that the CWY program:
has a remarkable influence on their values and attitudes (open-mindedness, self-confidence) and on their knowledge of themselves and of another country;
allows them to hone their communication, learning, and organizational skills;
provides the opportunity to forge lasting friendships and make professional contacts that remain useful long after the program has ended.
Members of host communities feel that the CWY program:
has a lasting impact, particularly with regard to interpersonal relationships, values, attitudes, and knowledge of another country;
is a window on Canadian and international diversity and today's youth.
Final Report
See the complete results of the CWY Impact Study }
History
1971 Canada World Youth is founded by Jacques Hébert.1972-1973
The first groups of young Canadians are sent to Cameroon, Malaysia, Mexico, Tunisia, and the former Yugoslavia.
1981
Ten years after its creation, CWY is running educational programs between Canada and more than twenty-five countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
1989
The Netherlands creates a program inspired by the CWY model. (Sweden and Great Britain follow suit in 1993 and 1999, respectively.)
1991
CWY runs its first programs with schools and youth groups. Since then, hundreds of high school and college students have had the chance to learn about international cooperation and solidarity through the Global Learner program.
1994
CWY runs its first programs with partners in Central and Eastern Europe.
1996
Jacques Hébert's book Hello, World!, in which he describes the creation of Canada World Youth, is published.
1996-1997
CWY participants meet with Team Canada in Mumbai, India (January 1996) and in Thailand (January 1997).
1997
CWY participants become eligible for a college-level certificate through Cégep Marie-Victorin. Afterwards, several other colleges and universities also begin to offer equivalencies and academic credit to CWY participants, confirming the educational value of CWY programs.
1999
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien meets with CWY participants during his official visit to Poland.
CWY becomes the lead agency of the NetCorps Canada International coalition, an innovative program focusing on information and communication technologies and funded by Industry Canada.
The first world conference of CWY past participants is held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
2001
CWY celebrates its 30th anniversary.
2003
With support from the "Canada Fund for Africa" administered by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), CWY creates fifty new trilateral programs with African partners: the Africa-Canada Eco-leadership Programs (ACELP).
2004
Canada Corps awards one of its first grants to the NetCorps coalition, which includes Canada World Youth.
2006
CWY celebrates its 35th anniversary! Approximately one hundred cities across Canada proclaim the week of October 15 to 21, 2006 to be Canada World Youth week.
An extensive evaluation project concludes that the CWY program has a positive and lasting impact on its young volunteers and on host community members.
2007
Jacques Hébert, the founder of Canada World Youth, passes away (1923–2007). His work has led to the creation of thousands of young global citizens who are equipped to cultivate tolerance and resolve conflict in constructive and peaceful ways.