Youth Forums Canada — Exchanges Canada
Labour disruptions impact at Canadian Heritage
The Government of Canada and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have reached a tentative agreement, ending the strike affecting many public service members. There may still be some service impacts over the next few weeks.
Youth Forums Canada funds Canadian organizations that provide workshops and conferences that connect youth – generally between the ages of 14 and 25 – who share a passion for Canadian issues, institutions, history, official languages, sports or the arts. Objectives and expected results are:
- to contribute to increased knowledge and understanding of Canada among Canadian youth, by enabling them to learn first-hand about the history, geography, industry, institutions, cultures, communities, languages and other facets of their country;
- to help young Canadians connect to one another and create linkages, across the country and between groups, thereby helping to strengthen the fabric of Canadian society; and
- to develop Canadian identity and a sense of belonging to Canada among youth by enhancing their appreciation of both the diversity and the shared aspects of the Canadian experience.
Who can apply
To be eligible for funding, your organization must be one of the following:
- A legally-constituted, non-profit organization;
- A provincial or territorial government;
- A public or private school; or
- A school board or other educational institution, such as a college or university.
All applicant organizations must have at least three years of experience delivering youth programs with appropriate and adequate security and safety policies and procedures in place.
To be eligible for funding, your project must:
- be a national or international forum for young people that offers activities such as workshops, thematic events or other experiences that meet the objectives of Exchanges Canada;
- be inter-provincial and/or inter-territorial;
- be at least three full days in duration, excluding travel time;
- include participants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada who are generally between the ages of 14 and 25 (except monitors and supervisors); and
- meet the objectives of the Youth Forums Canada component, described above.
Note that, for the period of April 2021 to March 2026, eligibility criteria have been expanded to include support for:
- Youth Forums in alternate formats, including, but not limited to, virtual forums, activities taking place within one province or territory, or activities for a reduced duration of time; and
- Additional eligible expenses, which can include: expenses relating to virtual activities; and, when in-person activities are possible, expenses for alternative and/or additional accommodations and expenses for purchasing personal protective equipment.
Please also note that projects cannot receive financial support from both the Exchanges Canada and Youth Take Charge programs.
Important: Contact the Program at echanges-exchanges@pch.gc.ca for further clarification on the above.
How to apply
All applicants must:
- complete, sign and date the General Application Form; and
- attach all the required supporting documents as described in the program guidelines.
You are strongly encouraged to discuss your proposal with a Program Officer before submitting your application.
Presenting a detailed application form does not guarantee funding.
Information session
As part of the launch of the call for proposals for the Youth Forums Canada component of the Exchanges Canada Program, representatives of youth organizations are invited to attend an information session on the program application process.
The information session will last 60 minutes and will be delivered virtually:
- In French: Wednesday, January 18, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
- In English: Wednesday, January 18, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
To receive an invitation, please contact us by email at the following address: echanges-exchanges@pch.gc.ca and specify whether you wish to take part in the session in French or in English.
Costs
Only project-related expenses, which can be of cash and in-kind value, are eligible; these may include travel expenses, administrative expenses, special measures and exceptional expenses.
We cannot fund expenses incurred before April 1 of the year following the application deadline. If you incur expenses for your project before receiving written confirmation of funding approval, you will be doing so at your own risk.
Application deadline
February 3, 2023
When an application deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or statutory holiday, it is extended to the following working day.
Contact us
- echanges-exchanges@pch.gc.ca
- Telephone
- 819-997-0055
1-866-811-0055 (toll-free) - TTY
- 1-888-997-3123 (toll-free)
Agents are available to answer your questions, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST).
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