Young people from the four corners of Canada and the world recently arrived in some forty Canadian communities as part of the Canada World Youth (CWY) 2005-2006 program.

The groups, composed of nine Canadians and nine youths from a country in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe or Latin America, will spend three months in Canada.

Placed in host families, these young people will be doing volunteer work with various local organizations and learning about life in the region.  After their stay in Canada, they will travel to their exchange country, where they will spend another three months contributing to volunteer projects in the field.

Come and meet these Canada World Youth groups in the following Canadian communities:

Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown (Canadians and Cubans)
Summerside (Canadians and Cubans)

Newfoundland
Grand Falls – Windsor (Canadians and Jamaicans) 

Nova Scotia
Amherst (Canadians and Cubans)

New Brunswick
Fredericton (Canadians, Ghanaians, and Senegalese)
Grand Falls (Canadians and Ghanaians)

Quebec
Cowansville (Canadians and Beninese)
Granby (Canadians and Beninese)
Lachute (Canadians and Brazilians)
Rimouski (Canadians, Beninese, and Senegalese)
Sept-Iles (Canadians and Burkinans)
St-Jérôme (Canadians and Brazilians)
Terrebonne (Canadians, Ghanaians, and Senegalese)
Trois-Rivières (Canadians, Beninese, and Senegalese)

Ontario
Bracebridge (Canadians, Kenyans, and Tanzanians)
Guelph (Canadians, Kenyans, and Tanzanians)
Haliburton (Canadians and Kenyans)
Kitchener (Canadians, Kenyans, and Tanzanians)
London (Canadians and Indians)
North Bay (Canadians, Kenyans, and Tanzanians)
Owen Sound (Canadians, Kenyans, and Tanzanians)
Parry Sound (Canadians and Peruvians)
Perth (Canadians and Thais)
Peterborough (Canadians, Kenyans, and Tanzanians)
Renfrew (Canadians and Thais)
Stratford (Canadians and Indians)
Walkerton/Hanover (Canadians and Hondurans)    

Manitoba
Brandon (Canadians and Sri Lankans)
Portage La Prairie (Canadians and Sri Lankans)

Saskatchewan
Regina (Canadians and Ukrainians)

Alberta
Crowsnest Pass (Canadians, South African, and Botswanans)
Lacombe (Canadians, South Africans, and Mozambicans)
Lethbridge (Canadians and Guatemalans)
Viking (Canadians and Mexicans)

British Columbia
Chilliwack (Canadians and Chinese) 
Duncan (Canadians and Chinese)
Golden (Canadians, South Africans, and Namibians)
Kelowna (Canadians, South Africans, and Botswanans)
Penticton (Canadians, South Africans and Mozambicans) 
Powell River (Canadians and Chinese)       
Revelstoke (Canadians, Namibians, and Mozambicans)
Sunshine Coast (Canadians and Indonesians)
White Rock (Canadians and Indonesians)

“The Canada World Youth program is an exciting option for young people who are trying to decide what to do with their lives or who want to take a gap year to live an educational experience and to do volunteer work in Canada and abroad. It offers them a chance to acquire valuable skills, learn another language, become more aware of global issues, and contribute to the well-being of their community,” explains Matthew Pearce, president of CWY.

Canada World Youth aims to prepare a new generation of global citizens through its international educational programs for young people aged 17 to 24.  Since 1971, more than 25,000 young people from Canada and around the world have participated in CWY programs in 67 countries.

This year, 1,300 young people will participate in one of 89 CWY programs in Canada and 29 countries around the world.