Katimavik
Katimavik is a registered charity that engages Canadian youth through volunteer work. Katimavik provides opportunities for young Canadians to participate in five to six-month periods of community service throughout the country through a 'National Experience program'. There are eight 'houses' throughout Canada.
Vision
The Katimavik National Experience challenges young people in Canada with a transformative experience to empower them to become:
- Supporters of Truth and Reconciliation across Canada
- Contributors to an eco-friendly and sustainable world
- Advocates for inclusiveness and diversity
- Confident change-makers working towards a better Canada.
The overall vision is diverse, engaged and empowered youth working together to create just relationships and transform communities, the environment and themselves for a better Canada.
Core values
- Informed Action
- Local Reconciliation Projects
- Leadership and Partnership
- Relationship Building
- Social Action and Change
- Safe and Supportive Learning Experience
- Direct contact with Indigenous Peoples in the communities sponsoring a Katimavik house
- Experiential learning and discovery
Program
The fully-immersive 5.5 month program brings together 11 young adults who share and manage a Katimavik house while living in two different communities. The group is accompanied by a Project Leader, who resides in the house to mentor the life-changing experience.
Practices
- Volunteering 30 hours a week at local non-profit organizations;
- Learning about Indigenous peoples in Canada and engaging in meaningful truth and reconciliation initiatives;
- Team building and collaboration;
- Designing and implementing community projects;
- Managing all aspects of the Katimavik house, including daily meal preparation;
- Plan cultural discovery, group outings and fun activities during evenings and weekends.
Resources
https://katimavik.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Annual_report_EN.pdf