Government of Canada announces new Canada Service Corps volunteer service opportunities for up to 20,000 youth

TORONTO, Jan. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - Young people are building the Canada of today and of tomorrow, and the Government of Canada is creating new opportunities so they can foster their skills. Through the Canada Service Corps (CSC), youth are becoming part of the culture of service that helps equip them with meaningful skills and experience, while also empowering them to make an impact in their communities.

Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced an investment of approximately $200 million to fund 85 projects as part of the CSC. As a result, over the next three years, up to 20,000 youth in Canada between the ages of 12 and 30 will benefit from new CSC-funded volunteer service opportunities across the country.

These interesting and engaging projects will offer youth, including those from Indigenous and under-served populations, unique volunteer service opportunities focused on reconciliation, inclusivity, environmental preservation, civic and democratic engagement, and resilience.

The CSC call for proposals received a strong response from organizations across Canada, with an unprecedented number of applications submitted. This enthusiasm reflects that the program is meeting a need and desire across Canada to help young people gain the skills and experiences they need to thrive and contribute to the growth of our economy.

CSC is a program that gives youth opportunities to practice leadership, learn new skills, and grow their personal and professional networks. Through community-focused volunteer service opportunities, youth gain valuable experience that can help them discover their strengths and motivate them to further their education or transition to the labour market. Since it began in 2018, CSC has enabled thousands of young people to gain new experiences, develop their skills, and broaden their networks.

Youth who want to apply for one of the new CSC-funded volunteer service opportunities can visit Canada.ca/CanadaServiceCorps. New opportunities are added and updated regularly.

Quote

"By teaming up with amazing organizations across the country, we're creating more opportunities for young people to grow their skills, follow their passions, and make a real impact in their communities—all while setting themselves up for future career success. I've seen firsthand the incredible things youth can accomplish through this program, and I can't wait to see what they do next." – The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

Quick facts

• On October 12, 2023, CSC launched a new comprehensive multi-stream open call for proposals with the intention to expand and diversify the program. New program and stream objectives helped to remove barriers for smaller, diverse-led and grassroots organizations and sought to fund projects that ensured geographic coverage across provinces and territories. Through the 2023 call for proposals, organizations across Canada could apply for funding for one or more of the following streams:
  • Service Placements National Stream: funds organizations with a national reach across multiple provinces and/or territories that can provide full-time and/or flexible volunteer service placements for youth;
  • Service Placements Regional Stream: funds organizations with a strong local or regional reach that provide flexible volunteer service placement opportunities to youth;
  • Micro-grants Stream: funds organizations to deliver supports to youth and provide them with one-time cash payments (micro-grants) to carry out youth-led projects that address a community need.
• Information about the organizations being funded through this call for proposals, funding amounts and details about the new projects will be available after individual contribution agreements are signed.
• All Employment and Social Development Canada funding programs aim to be inclusive of a wide variety of organizations. To receive approval of funding, organizations must have the ability to meet criteria outlined in the application process. Criteria may change from one call for proposals to another as program priorities constantly evolve to meet the changing needs of Canadians. An organization that has previously received funding is not guaranteed funding approval in the future.
• Since its launch in 2018, CSC has made it possible for youth to participate in more than 52,000 volunteer service opportunities in over 200 projects. This represents over 40,000 service placements and over 10,000 micro-grant projects.

Related products

• Backgrounder: Canada Service Corps – Results of the 2023 call for proposals

Associated links 

• Canada Service Corps
• Minister Marci Ien announces volunteer opportunities for youth through Canada Service Corps
• Funding opportunities from Employment and Social Development Canada
• What is Canada Service Corps?

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For media inquiries, please contact: Emelyana Titarenko, Director of communications, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]