Leadership and Citizenship Opportunities
Camp Courage
The primary purpose of the camp is to introduce young women to careers as first responders. The camp will aim to provide information, inspiration, education and opportunities to experience the physical demands, thereby allowing a more accurate perception of what it takes to act in these roles. The ultimate goal is that young women will leave with a sense of empowerment and the confidence to believe that they can achieve any goal, career or dream they desire. The camp is 100% free. In order to be accepted into camp you must write an essay on one of two topics: how you can improve someone else’s life that is less fortunate, or how you can improve your community. Instead of paying cash, you have to do what you’ve proposed in your essay. The only limitation is your imagination. This illustrates how hard work creates opportunities. It teaches to be thankful for what you have and to respect others that have less, It teaches the value of helping others.
Camp Courage accepts only 24 participants each year, and entrance essays are due March 31st! Camp dates: July 7 - July 14, 2019
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke Edinburgh’s International Award is an internationally recognized program for young people, building your skills to equip you for life and work. By creating opportunities for young people to develop skills, get physically active, give service and experience adventure, the Award can play a critical role in your development. The awards are recognised by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development: the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards are Grade 10, 11, and 12 high school Personal Development credits respectively. The website will allow you to find out more about the Nova Scotia chapter and how to become a Duke of Ed participant.
Encounters with Canada
Encounters With Canada is a unique opportunity for Canadian teens to meet other young people from across the country. Spend an adventure-filled week in your nation’s capital! Check out future career options, discover your country, share your hopes and dreams. For 36 years, EWC has delivered a rich and varied, bilingual program. To date, more than 111,000 youth have lived the EWC experience… now it’s your turn! Choose your week based on which of the 14 themes you are most passionate about: Law & Justice, Arts & Culture, Business & Entrepreneurship, Medicine & Health, Democracy & Youth, are just a few examples. Visit important Canadian institutions, meet famous and accomplished Canadians, develop your leadership skills and enjoy an extraordinary experience. Don’t forget—first come, first served!
Forum for Young Canadians
A week that will change your life. Would you like to contribute to the future of your community and your country? Are you interested in decision-making and politics? Do you want to create relationships with people from different places? Forum is for you! Be a part of an incredible week behind the scenes of the world of federal politics on Parliament Hill. Make your voice heard during parliamentary simulations and develop unbreakable links with peers that share the same ideas and passions as you.
Deadline for Applications: November 30th 2018
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 via the acclaimed National Experience program. Katimavik’s mission is to develop diverse youth as engaged, caring citizens and capable contributors and leaders for a better Canada. Katimavik collaborates with other organizations to foster understanding, respect and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and with Canada’s other diverse cultures, regions and the environment. Katimavik's vision is diverse, engaged and empowered youth working together to create just relationships and transform communities, the environment and themselves for a better Canada.
Leadership Training Camp
http://www.ns.legion.ca/index.php/programs/leadership-training-camp
The Legion Youth Leadership Training camp is not an activities or sport camp but a camp whereby leadership skills are developed through a wide variety of activities. Sport(s) skills are not the primary activities used throughout the camp. The over-all purpose of this camp is to develop leadership characteristics already present in the selected campers. This is first done by practice and experience.
Leadership qualities and personal characteristics of Leadership will be nurtured throughout the 9 days of the camp. The most important outcome of this camp experience will be growth in personal and interpersonal leadership skills, knowledge and values. These outcomes, typically will include movement in communication skills (listening, speaking and writing), sensitivity to and respect for others and decision making.
Applications are available on the website
Deadline: late April each year for a camp experience the last week of June.
The Nova Scotia Sea School
You will experience the world in ways you never thought possible. Speed on the wind, drift on tranquil waters and explore an undeveloped coast. Seals and porpoises, even whales accompany you as you learn the skills of the sailor and make friendships to last a lifetime. Take command of the boat, navigate the course, reflect on the night sky and have an amazing amount of fun. No experience necessary. Really. None at all.
The Sea School is probably different from anything you’ve ever experienced. It is an adventure program where you and your crew are in charge. You navigate around deserted islands, explore the coast, hike in the woods, build a boat or shape a surfboard the way that you want to. On a Sea School adventure you laugh a lot, you challenge yourself, you make friends for life, you learn a lot about yourself.
In the summer go on a 5 or 7-day overnight sailing adventure (ages 14-18) on one of their classic wooden sail boats. In the fall, winter and March Break take a boat-building course or go on a wilderness adventure in back country Nova Scotia.
Radhoc Youth Leadership Summer Camp 2020
Radhoc is hosting its fifth youth summer camp this year! Save the dates June 26th to June 30th. They will be on the Memorial University Campus in St. John’s and there are some great spots on campus for outdoor learning spaces and plenty of room for a summer camp!
Learn about leadership, social innovation, and global citizenship with other high school students (students from grade 9 to students leaving grade 12) from all over! The cost to attend summer camp is $20, and this will include all your meals and accommodations for the five days. As always, you can apply to have your $20 fee covered by us, so don't let that stop you! Any further questions? Visit our Camp FAQ page or email us at radhoc@gmail.com!
WE Movement
WE is a movement that believes when we come together we can create an even better world. WE makes it easy for you to get involved—whether at home, school or work—by offering resources to help you create positive social change in your community and around the world*. Find out how WE makes doing good, doable. Their website is filled with information about how you can get involved in your school, community, even globally.
Wild Outside
WILD Outside is a national conservation-based youth leadership program designed for youth ages 15 to 18. By participating in this immersive program, young Canadians will experience opportunities for personal growth while developing and encouraging their own “conservation ethic.” Learning from CWF facilitators alongside their peers, youth who join the WILD Outside program will connect with other local participants in the planning and delivery of community-based conservation action projects in their own community. Ther is now a branch of this national organization in Halifax. Go to the website for more information and to apply.
YA Canada - Youth Ambassadors Program
https://www.worldlearning.org/program/youth-ambassadors-program/
The Youth Ambassadors Program with Canada is a 3-week leadership exchange program in the United States for teenagers ages 15-18 and adult mentors. The program provides full scholarships for participants to take part in cultural and educational programming focused on civic engagement and social entrepreneurship.
Youth Ambassadors is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and is administered by World Learning. The program aims to develop a cadre of young adults throughout the Americas who have a strong sense of civic responsibility, a commitment to their communities, an awareness of current and global issues, and strong interpersonal leadership skills. The program aims to promote mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration between people in the United States and other countries of the Western Hemisphere.
Applications for summer 2020 are currently being accepted at https://wl.force.com/YA/WL_SiteLogin
YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada Program
https://ymcagta.org/youth-programs/youth-travel-and-exchanges/youth-exchanges-canada
The Youth Exchanges Canada program is designed for groups of 10 to 30 participants between the ages of 12 and 17. Participants are paired with same-age groups from another province or territory, and they travel to each other’s communities, staying for at least 5 days. For travel between July and December, deadline to register is March 1st of each year.
The objectives of this program are
- Contribute to improved knowledge and understanding of Canada among Canadian youth.
- Help young Canadians connect to one another and create links throughout the country.
- Develop Canadian identity and attachment to Canada among youth.
- Contribute to the development of leadership skills in young Canadians.
- Foster a stronger sense of community by providing opportunities for youth to become actively engaged.
YMCA Summer Work Student Exchange Program
This government-funded program enables youth aged 16 and 17 to participate in a 6-week exchange to Québec during the summer. When taking part in the SWSE program, students live with a host family in Québec and are paid the provincial minimum wage to work full-time at a non-profit organization such as a summer camp, child care centre, community museum, etc. During weekends, students participate in a variety of group activities that allow them to get to know the culture, arts, history, and recreation opportunities of their new community. SWSE is funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, and is offered at minimal cost ($125) to participants; this includes transportation to and from Québec, as well as all program activities. This is an excellent and low-cost opportunity for youth to enhance their French skills through immersion. Further information can be found on their website: www.summer-work.com
Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/s-z/youth-advisory-committee
Each year, Halifax Regional Municipality recruits members of the Youth Advisory Committee. The committee consists of 12 youth between the ages of 15-24. This committee will advise council on how municipal policies, programs, and services affect youth, and challenge the areas where we can do better. Committee members will regularly engage with youth throughout the municipality to help youth shape the future of our municipality, bring unheard voices to Regional Council, educate youth on policies and decisions that affect them, identify and remove barriers facing youth, help make our local government more diverse.
The application period for this year closed on November 11/18. Check the website for information on the next recruiting period.