Before the program
During the program
After the program
 Before the program
Preparation
Whether your teen is leaving home for the first or fourth time, preparation is always a crucial step of the departure process. Leaving their usual, day-to-day routine and comforts behind brings its share of doubts, fears and questions. Also, during the following months, they will have to adapt to a whole new reality, in which group living, the learning program and the volunteering experience will be part and parcel of your daily life.
The day your child leaves for Katimavik, about 250 other youth from across the country will be travelling to various destinations. Katimavik organizes and pays for the travel expenses and arrangements of all participants and the Transportation Office will contact your teen approximately 1 month prior to departure to give him/her all the information he or she will need. Before they leave, participants receive detailed travel instructions and all the tickets they need to reach their first destination, as well as useful tips to get ready to go!
Expenses
Katimavik pays for the food, accommodations and transportation for all participants during the program. Your child will have to cover personal expenses, such as long distance calls, snacks, clothes and leisure activities that aren’t related to the program.
During the programKatimavik takes place in 3 Canadian communities, with 3 different project leaders (one per community). Your teen shares his everyday life with 10 other young people from across Canada. The house or apartment rented by Katimavik becomes his/her new living environment and the host community provides you with exciting work projects.
All Katimavik residences include furniture, a common area where workshops and weekly meetings take place, a fully-equipped kitchen, a bathroom and bedrooms. Boys and girls sleep in separate rooms.
In each community, participants will live with a host family for 9 to 14 days in order to familiarize themselves further with all the facets of their host community. This period is a great opportunity to improve their language skills and is a truly enriching experience on many levels!
Keeping in touch
Email may be the best way to keep in contact with your teen while he/she is on the program. Set a plan for keeping in touch because telephones are for emergency use only.
After the programBefore coming back home
Participants take part in an overall debriefing at the end of the program. The final debriefing has three parts: a look back on the third trimester, a look back at the program as a whole to highlight the progress made by participants, and finally, preparation for the next step – leaving the group. This is a very difficult moment for the group that must split up after such an intense time together. Special attention must be given to preparing the end of program departure. Once again, the Project Leader will make participants aware of the changes they will face when they return to their communities, parents and friends. They will need to prepare for reuniting with their loved ones and entourage, who will also have grown and changed – even if they haven’t been in the Katimavik program!
Like in the beginning of the program, the transportation department will communicate with participants and take care of all travel arrangements.
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