Frontiers Foundation-Operation Beaver

  Canada

• All Other Areas in Canada: 
Whitehorse,  Yellowknife

Durations of Program: 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 7-12 months
Dates: Sept./09 to June/10

Description: We have several different types of projects and they include:

Education: This involves our volunteers working as tutors and teaching assistants in First Nations communities in the far north of Canada. The communities in which we work range in size from as few as eighty people to as many as three thousand and all of the communities are in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The education volunteers will often work with special needs students and assist in specialty areas such as with computers, music, physical education, etc..

Recreation: This involves our volunteers working to put on a variety of recreational activities for young people in the community. Each community has a recreation centre and our volunteers put on and supervise programmes for the youth each evening so that the young people can have a safe and supervised place to have fun and burn off their energy.

Construction: In the province of Ontario we work to provide safe, warm, and affordable homes for low-income families. Our volunteers work on the contruction and repair of homes in these communities so that the families can improve their living conditions to a level which should be considered acceptable in Canada.

Highlights: The volunteers will have the opportunity to live and work in a First Nations community in the north of Canada. Several of our projects are above the Arctic Circle and the volunteers will have the chance to learn about the far north and experience many things that are unique to the north. They will learn about the northern and First Nations culture, work closely with young people, and become part of a small, northern, community.

Qualifications: We are looking for motivated outgoing volunteers who want to learn about the First Nations culture while working to help improve conditions in the community. We want people who want to get involved in community life and make things happen in their host community. It is important that the volunteer have the ability to deal with problems as they arise and work independantly or with small groups of volunteers. A university degree, or some university education, is a plus. Past work with young people and previous volunteer work is an asset. We also have projects that involve working on low-cost housing and on these projects construction experience is necessary. This is a truly unique, and very challenging, opportunity and we are looking for people who are willing to give a tremendous effort to take full advantage of this experience.

Cost in US$: Travel to and from Canada and a $50 registration

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: A typical volunteer is someone who has just graduated university, or is taking a year off of their studies, and wants to experience something exciting and unique while also helping people. We look for volunteers that are outgoing, energetic, and want to get involved in the community and meet new people.

Age Range: minimum age is 20. There is no maximum age.

This Program is open to American and Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Canada Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of as few as one and as many as six

Application Process Involves:

• Disciplinary Clearance Form
• Essay
• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Resume
• Transcript
• Written Application

Frontiers Foundation-Operation Beaver's Mission Statement: Frontiers Foundation recruits volunteers from throughout the world to come work on community development projects in First Nations communities in the north of Canada. These projects include working in schools, assisting with recreation and working with young people, and assisting in the construction and repair of homes for underprivileged families. Our projects begin in early September and the volunteers are asked to commit for the full school year, through to the end of June. We begin accepting volunteers in May and June for our September projects so interested people should apply by early May.

Year Founded: 1968