Student Mobilization Program

For every humanitarian aid worker in the field there are a host of students and young adults sitting on the sidelines, waiting for their chance to get in the game.

The rise in awareness of global issues like poverty, HIV/AIDS and malaria, has brought with it a rise in social activism among students and young adults like never before.

Young adults aged 18-25 have historically always been highly socially conscious, but there has been a notable swell of interest in recent years among this age group, particularly in the area of international development. But many students and young adults, who are impassioned by the human suffering they see around the world, are perplexed at how they are to proceed in getting involved. Many are content with wearing a bracelet or signing a petition, but for many others, they are clamouring to get in field.

For those who are ready and willing to go, many are left without the proper training or the opportunities to engage.

To this end, Catalysts, Inc will be launching a comprehensive training program that will equip potential student volunteers into the aid world like never before. We will expose them to full strength community development models with cross-cultural teaching culminating with a hands on field experience in China and beyond.

The program launches this Fall 2009 across five universities in Canada and the US.

First round funding of $30,000 has been procured, and we are looking at 2nd round funding of $56,000.