Katimavik Educational Community Service Program
Preamble
WHEREAS from 1977 to 2013 the youth program Katimavik played a useful role in helping over 30,000 young Canadians learn about the cultural, regional, geographical and linguistic diversity of our huge country, and
WHEREAS the Katimavik program helped to develop a culture of volunteer community service among its participants, and
WHEREAS in 2006 the cost of the program was relatively modest at 19.7 million dollars for 1,155 participants in 105 communities across Canada, and
WHEREAS the government currently spends over $200 million per year on the Canadian Cadet Program, and
WHEREAS the current government spends more than that each year on advertising the benefits of government programs that are no longer running, and
WHEREAS many young people pursuing post-secondary education face crushing student loan debt upon graduation,
Operative
BE IT RESOLVED THAT a Green government will restore financing to the Katimavik program at its 2010 participation level, and furthermore provide a bursary to all participants who complete the program that will cover the cost of their tuition in any accredited post-secondary educational institution for a period of two years as a reward for their volunteer community service.
Background
Overview and history of the Katimavik program: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katimavik
As a very large and thinly populated nation, Canada faces a problem of regionalism, where too many people grow up and live their lives knowing little about other parts of the country. Programs like Katimavik and Canada World Youth were developed in the 1970s as a means of trying to overcome these obstacles and to develop a culture of volunteer community service among young people. Over the life of the program, Katimavik volunteers have served in over 2000 communities across Canada. In 2010 the Harper government cut funding for the program and then terminated it entirely in 2013. The organization continues to operate on donations at a much-reduced capacity.
At the same time, young people wishing to pursue a post-secondary education face ever-higher tuition costs, forcing many to either give up on going to school or accepting the fact that they may carry a student debt burden for years after graduation.
As a nation we should be doing everything possible to develop a culture of volunteer community service among young people, and reward the efforts of those that do step forward with free tuition.
Code
Proposal Type
Submitter Name
Party Commentary
This policy is consistent with Green Party policy on education.
Preamble
WHEREAS from 1977 to 2013 the youth program Katimavik played a useful role in helping over 30,000 young Canadians learn about the cultural, regional, geographical and linguistic diversity of our huge country, and
WHEREAS the Katimavik program helped to develop a culture of volunteer community service among its participants, and
WHEREAS in 2006 the cost of the program was relatively modest at 19.7 million dollars for 1,155 participants in 105 communities across Canada, and
WHEREAS the government currently spends over $200 million per year on the Canadian Cadet Program, and
WHEREAS the current government spends more than that each year on advertising the benefits of government programs that are no longer running, and
WHEREAS many young people pursuing post-secondary education face crushing student loan debt upon graduation,
Operative
BE IT RESOLVED THAT a Green government will restore financing to the Katimavik program at its 2010 participation level, and furthermore provide a bursary to all participants who complete the program that will cover the cost of their tuition in any accredited post-secondary educational institution for a period of two years as a reward for their volunteer community service.
Sponsors
Background
Overview and history of the Katimavik program: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katimavik
As a very large and thinly populated nation, Canada faces a problem of regionalism, where too many people grow up and live their lives knowing little about other parts of the country. Programs like Katimavik and Canada World Youth were developed in the 1970s as a means of trying to overcome these obstacles and to develop a culture of volunteer community service among young people. Over the life of the program, Katimavik volunteers have served in over 2000 communities across Canada. In 2010 the Harper government cut funding for the program and then terminated it entirely in 2013. The organization continues to operate on donations at a much-reduced capacity.
At the same time, young people wishing to pursue a post-secondary education face ever-higher tuition costs, forcing many to either give up on going to school or accepting the fact that they may carry a student debt burden for years after graduation.
As a nation we should be doing everything possible to develop a culture of volunteer community service among young people, and reward the efforts of those that do step forward with free tuition.
Party Commentary
This policy is consistent with Green Party policy on education.