Youth Forums Canada — Exchanges Canada

Youth Forums Canada funds organizations in Canada that provide workshops and conferences that connect youth — generally between the ages of 14 and 25 — who share a passion for issues, institutions, history, official languages, sports or the arts in Canada. Objectives and expected results are:

  • to contribute to increased knowledge and understanding of the country among youth in Canada, by enabling them to learn first-hand about the history, geography, industry, institutions, cultures, communities, languages and other facets of their country
  • to help youth in Canada connect to one another and create linkages, across the country and between groups, thereby helping to strengthen the fabric of Canadian society
  • to develop national 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 1 of the following:

  • a legally constituted, non-profit organization
  • a provincial or territorial government
  • a public or private school
  • a school board or other educational institution, such as a college or university

All applicant organizations must have at least 3 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 meet all of the following requirements:

  • 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 the Exchanges Canada program
  • be inter-provincial and/or inter-territorial
  • be at least 3 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)
  • 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 1 province or territory, or activities for a reduced duration of time
  • 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.

Application deadline

December 18, 2023

How to apply

Read the Application guidelines in their entirety before completing your application.

Contact us at echanges-exchanges@pch.gc.ca to request the application package (available only during the application intake period).

Organizations must meet all eligibility requirements and submit a complete application package to be considered for funding.

You are invited to contact us to discuss the eligibility of your organization and project before submitting an application.

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-serving organizations are invited to attend an information session on the application process.

The 60-minute information session will be delivered virtually:

  • in French: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, from 11 am to 12 pm (ET)
    • Interpretation in the langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) will be available.
  • in English: Thursday, December 5, 2023, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm (ET)
    • Interpretation in American Sign Language (ASL) will be available.

To receive an invitation, please contact us by email at echanges-exchanges@pch.gc.ca and specify whether you wish to take part in the French or English session.

Contact us

Address
Exchanges Canada Program
Department of Canadian Heritage
15 Eddy St
Gatineau QC  J8X 4B3
Email
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 am to 5 pm (ET).

Page details

Date modified: