Katimavik's 30th anniversary
Katimavik is proud to announce that Canada's Governor General, Her
Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, has agreed to serve
as
Honorary Patron of the organization which celebrates its 30th anniversary
this year!
Montréal, January 9, 2008 – The Governor General of Canada, Her
Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, has extended
patronage to Katimavik, as it marks the 30th anniversary of its
foundation. This announcement launches the celebrations in a special way
for Katimavik, an organization that has shaped the lives of so many
Canadians while contributing to the social and economic development of
over 2,000 communities across Canada over the years.
Founded in 1977 by Jacques Hébert, Katimavik is Canada's leading
national youth service program. More than 28,000 young Canadians have
participated in the program, learning valuable skills through
volunteering, group living and discovering their country.
On behalf of the organization, Jean-Guy Bigeau, executive director of
Katimavik, stated, "We are honoured and privileged that Her
Excellency has agreed to serve as Patron for this special occasion. Her
support will be an inspiration to all those who embrace the mission of our
organization, that is, to foster the personal development of our nation's
young people through a challenging program of national volunteer-service
while helping to build capacity at the community level across the
country."
Program of activities Activities are planned for all those currently
involved with Katimavik in the 99 communities that are partnered with the
organization in 2008, as well as for alumni and friends of Katimavik so
that they can reconnect with the organization, and for the general public
who would like to learn more about this unique youth volunteer-service
program.
- Open houses in 99 partner communities throughout the spring 2008
Get a real taste of Katimavik by visiting an open house in/or near your
hometown and meet current participants from across Canada, project
leaders, project coordinators and members of over 700 community partner
organizations. You'll see first-hand the dynamic lifestyle that animates
these groups who volunteer 35 hours a week on work projects, manage their
household and participate in numerous learning program workshops.
- Katimavik makes a gesture for the environment - May 24, 2008
A volunteer-environment day extravaganza and festivities for all!
Join us for the main event in any of the numerous communities across the
country and participate in a full-fledged Katimavk volunteer-environmental
project. Current participants in host communities will identify and
organize
the volunteer activity for which they deem the community would benefit the
most from. This is the opportunity for Katimavik alumni and community
members in 89 communities to roll up their sleeves and connect with a
youth-driven initiative. A festive get-together will be organized as well
to
mark this unique occasion!
- Virtual reunions for alumni – a contest to be launched in February
2008
If you're one of the 28,000 alumni, participate in a fun contest by
tracking
down the other members of your group and get a chance to win great prizes!
Details for all the above activities as well as the list of communities
involved, from Port Alberni, British Columbia, all the way to Goose Bay,
Newfoundland-Labrador, are available in the section dedicated to
Katimavik's 30th anniversary at www.katimavik.org.
Katimavik background
During their nine-month service experience, participants aged 17 to 21,
live in three Canadian communities, where they volunteer 35 hours a week
for a variety of non-profit host organizations. Everyday life consists of
living with ten other young people from across the country, along with a
project leader. The staff member provides supervision and facilitates the
implementation of structured learning programs through a series of
workshops and activities pertaining to leadership skills development,
learning our official languages, environmental stewardship, experiencing
cultural diversity and integration first-hand, as well as adopting a
healthier
lifestyle. The intent of the program is to shape responsible citizens
while
contributing significantly to the social and economic development of
Canadian communities.
In 2006-2007, 957 participants contributed the equivalent of 743,997
volunteer work hours to over 700 non-profit organizations. The value of
these volunteer hours is estimated at $11,630,000.1
DOING. LEARNING. BUILDING A NATION… ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME.
1. Calculated using the average wage in the volunteer sector, according to
Statistics Canada.
