Thousands of young people from Canada and around the world assert that Canada World Youth (CWY) has had a profound impact on their lives. To better understand this impact, CWY carried out an ambitious evaluation project in 2005. The objective was to measure the outcomes of CWY programs, not only on past participants, but also on the communities that had hosted them.

The conclusions of this study speak volumes: through its innovative model based on non-formal education, the CWY program has a profound, long-lasting impact on participants and members of host communities.

Sample and method

The study was conducted:

§         with 578 past participants and host community members who had taken part in programs between 1993 and 2003;

§         in five countries that had hosted CWY programs: Benin, Canada, Cuba, Thailand, and Ukraine.

The method involved participatory evaluations based on a dynamic, creative, rigorous approach: SAS2 (Social Analysis System).

Key results

Past participants indicate that the CWY program:

§         has a remarkable influence on their values and attitudes (open-mindedness, self-confidence) and on their knowledge of themselves and of another country;

§         allows them to hone their communication, learning, and organizational skills;

§         provides the opportunity to forge lasting friendships and make professional contacts that remain useful long after the program has ended.

Members of host communities feel that the CWY program:

§         has a lasting impact, particularly with regard to interpersonal relationships, values, attitudes, and knowledge of another country;

§         is a window on Canadian and international diversity and today’s youth.

Recommendatons

The study concluded that, to optimize outcomes of the program, CWY should:

§         maximize its interactions with host communities;

§         expand strategies promoting community involvement after the program;

§         review programming to increase the program's impact on participants in certain specific areas: career and study choice and improved civic engagement.

We are proud to provide you with the results of this study. They highlight the important role the CWY program plays in creating young, active, engaged global citizens in Canada and around the world. We invite you to consult the following documents for a full account of the results:

§         Executive summary

§         Final report

"When you have an experience that leaves you feeling like you're able to move mountains—that's priceless. When, several years later, you still have that confidence in yourself—there aren't words to express it, but it's the most important thing that comes out of the experience."

- Beninese past participant of the CWY program

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