This report was published by the Youth & Innovation Project, University of Waterloo.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

This literature review provides a current overview of leading practices in youth volunteerism and youth service in Canada and internationally with the aim of identifying trends and recurring themes, as well as barriers, that should be addressed to increase youth engagement in volunteerism and service. Special attention is given to information on how to engage traditionally underrepresented youth, in particular Indigenous youth.

It is the intention that the insight and knowledge gained from this research will help to inform the development of policy options for the next phase of the Canada Service Corps in 2019 – a signature program for youth service – as well as equip organizations working in the youth volunteerism and service sector in Canada with the latest knowledge on how they might engage a more diverse cohort of young people, better support the young people they work with, and increase their societal and environmental impact.

The research questions that guided the development of this report are as follows:

• What does it mean for a young person (age 15 to 30) to be: a volunteer, a youth service participant, a changemaker, an engaged citizen, and to have positive societal or environmental impact?
• What are leading theories and/or practices in Canada and internationally that result in more young people becoming changemakers & civically engaged?
• What are the barriers to youth engaging in volunteerism and service in Canada?
• What are the leading theories and/ or practices in youth service and volunteerism in Canada and internationally that result in positive societal and environmental impact?
• What do we know about the social impact (using monetary measures to measure impact) of youth service and volunteerism?