Volunteer camps in Canada
Leadership in Your Own Hands is a major and new innovative program that aims to promote civic engagement, intercultural cooperation and leadership skills in Canadian communities.
This project is funded by the Government of Canada through Canada Service Corps.
A Volunteer camp
A volunteer camp is a volunteering project led by a multicultural group, in a local community. Supervised by two camp leaders, a group of maximum 15 volunteers from Canada and from abroad live an unforgettable learning experience together.
Engage
Doing a volunteer camp is a way to engage with a community by helping them with real needs. Our host partners reach out to us to help them with projects that aim to generate change, improve the living environment or to have a positive effect in the community.
30 volunteer hours per week
Projects in volunteer camps can be :
- Environmental (creating walking trails, cleaning shorelines, preserving endangered species, etc.)
- Heritage preservation (building restauration, painting, construction work, etc.)
- Cultural (festivals, photography, linguistic exchange, etc.)
- Social (projects with kids, intergenerational projects, refugee assistance, etc.)
Discover
During your free time, you will have the opportunity to take part in many activities. Meeting the local population is very gratifying and will enable you to develop a sense of belonging to your host community.
Participants in intercultural volunteer camps in Canada experience group living in a dynamic Canadian community. By taking part in this program, they get the chance to discover a new part of the country and contribute to community development. Plus, they get to know a dozen other young Canadians and share their culture with international volunteers.
Exchange
Group living is the other main aspect of a volunteer camp. Doing a volunteer camp also means cultural exchange because, in addition to being in a new environment, you will be sharing your daily routine with people from different backgrounds and origins. You will learn a lot from this experience but most importantly, you will build relationships with people from all around the world!
Three stages
The Leadership in your own hands weekend is a preparatory weekend before the camp. This mandatory training will help you better understand what volunteer camps are and will give you an opportunity to ask all the questions you may have. Volunteers enrolled in a workcamp next summer will have the possibility to participate in one of these two sessions:
- April 6-7, 2019, in Montreal
- May 25-26, 2019, in Montreal
If you live outside the greater Montreal, we will gladly help you find transportation and accommodation for the weekend. Moreover, all fees (transportation, accommodation and food) will be covered by Canada Service Corps.
Volunteer camps are the heart of this program. For two to three weeks, you will be living with volunteers who, just like you, came to give a hand to your host community.
The Volunteers Meetup is the gathering of all the Canadian volunteers who did a volunteer camp during the year. The weekend will be an opportunity to share your experience, continue to engage and think about the future.
The next Volunteers Meetup will be:
- April 13-14, 2019, location to be determined.
- September 28 & 29, 2019, location to be determined.
If you live outside the greater Montreal, we will gladly help you find transportation and accommodation for the weekend. Moreover, all fees (transportation, accommodation and food) will be covered by Canada Service Corps.
Volunteer projects
Take a look at our summer 2019 programming.
Volunteer camps in Canada are part of the Canada Service Corps initiative.
Host partners
Our host partners are all non for profit organizations, municipalities or Band Councils.
Cost
It’s free ! Indeed, volunteer camps in Canada are part of the Canada Service Corps federal initiative. All fees (transportation, accommodation and food) are covered. However, it is reccommended to bring money for your personal expenses.
The included services are:
- The Leadership in Your Own Hands weekend (transportation, accommodation and food)
- CNESST insurance
- Personal support throughout the program
- Access to Chantiers jeunesse’s educational platform
- Membership for one year and ability to participate in the general assembly
- The Volunteers Meetup (transportation, accommodation and food)
Accommodation and meals
Room and board are provided during the workcamp. Accommodations depend on the project. Groups can live in community centres, dormitories or tents.Boys and girls sleep in separate rooms.
They’re also allocated a budget for groceries. This is an opportunity to cook and share culinary specialties. So don’t forget your recipes!
Eligibility criteria
- To be between 18 and 30 years old on the first day of the volunteer camp.
- To be a Canadian citizen or have been granted the status of permanent resident or refugee by the Canadian government.
How to register
