experiences canada

What experiences canada does

Experiences Canada is a national registered charity founded in 1936 (previously operating as SEVEC until a 2015 rebranding) that facilitates reciprocal youth group exchanges, national youth forums, and curriculum-based learning resources for young Canadians aged 12 to 17. Headquartered in Ottawa, the organization arranges and coordinates travel and programming for thousands of participants annually across all 10 provinces and 3 territories, using a proprietary twinning system that matches groups by age, interest, educational theme, and geography. Its core product portfolio includes the flagship Youth Exchange Program, Youth Forums (national issue-focused gatherings including reconciliation), the "Learning by Adventure" Exchange Organizers Conference, and a Learning Resources suite covering topics such as Anti-Racism, Reconciliation, STEM, Climate Change, Career Choices, and Money 101, with e-learning modules delivered via TalentLMS.

The organization's revenue model rests on three streams: primary program funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage that covers travel costs for eligible participants, non-refundable participant fees ($250 per group plus $250 per traveling participant), and donations and corporate sponsorships. It distributes through schools, school boards, and community organizations, with partnerships extending its reach through Scouts Canada, Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario, the Canadian School Boards Association, Historica Canada, and other national bodies. Operationally, it runs on a small staff (approximately 6-10) supported by a broader volunteer network, using Salesforce CRM for project management and tracking alongside its public-facing online application portal.

Name

experiences canada

Legal name

Experiences Canada

Website

https://experiencescanada.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Experiences Canada is a national registered charity, founded in 1936 and headquartered in Ottawa, that runs reciprocal youth exchanges, forums, and learning resources for Canadians aged 12-17 across all provinces and territories, funded primarily by the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Educational Exchange Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange Programs (THAKAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK), Community Language Conversation & Exchange Groups (EDAAAFAO)

Keywords

• Youth exchange programs
• Cultural exchange initiatives
• Experiential learning services
• Youth leadership forums
• Cross-cultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from Department of Canadian Heritage covers travel costs for eligible youth participants. This government grant is the main revenue source enabling the exchange program.
2. Participant Fees: Non-refundable membership fee of $250 per group and $250 registration fee per traveling participant. These fees contribute to program administration costs.
3. Donations and Corporate Sponsorships: Individual donations (one-time, monthly, commemorative), corporate sponsorships, employee matching gift programs, and third-party fundraising events support program accessibility and special measures funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Experiences Canada arranges reciprocal youth group exchanges for Canadians aged 12 to 17 across all provinces and territories, with travel costs fully funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The organization also runs national Youth Forums on issues such as Reconciliation, delivers curriculum-based Learning Resources (Career Choices, Anti-Racism, STEM, Climate Change, etc.), and hosts the Exchange Organizers Conference "Learning by Adventure" for adult organizers. Applications are submitted by group organizers from schools and community organizations through an online portal, with groups twinned across Canada based on age, interests, themes, and geography.

Product overview

Experiences Canada is a national registered charity offering a portfolio of youth exchange and educational programs. The core offerings include the Youth Exchange Program (reciprocal group exchanges for youth aged 12-17), Youth Forums (national issue-focused gatherings), and Learning Resources (curriculum-based interactive lessons on topics including Career Choices, Anti-Racism, Reconciliation, Diversity and Inclusion, STEM, and Climate Change). Supporting products include the Online Application Form, E-Learning Modules delivered via TalentLMS, Career VLOGS, the National Youth Forum, and the Exchange Organizers Conference. The organization, formerly known as SEVEC until its 2015 rebranding, has operated since 1936.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Exchange Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400,000 youth have participated in programs over 90 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, supporting and minor.

• Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2025Partners to support Indigenous youth participation in transformative youth exchanges. ISWO is the designated Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body for Ontario, serving 350,000+ Indigenous people.
• Scouts CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2024Enables Scout sections to participate in youth exchanges either between sections or with Indigenous groups. Scouts Canada serves children and youth aged 5-26 with outdoor adventure and community engagement programs.
• National Alliance for Children and Youth (ANEJ/NACY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of ANEJ, a network of non-profit organizations collaborating to improve youth wellbeing in Canada through national leadership, knowledge sharing, and policy engagement.
• Historica CanadasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity offering programs in both official languages to explore, learn, and reflect on Canadian history and identity, aligning with Experiences Canada's mission.
• Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA/ACCC)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional association representing school board associations serving nearly 4 million elementary and secondary students across Canada.
• Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational organization working to realize parks and recreation as essential drivers of community health and vitality.
• Duke of Edinburgh's International Award CanadasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational award for youth aged 14-24 that challenges, empowers, and recognizes young people for achievements outside formal education.
• Youth on the Land (YOLO) CommunitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 300+ people supporting land and water opportunities for Indigenous youth across Canada, including Indigenous Guardianship departments, health centers, schools, and non-profit organizations.
• UniglobesupportingTechnology or IntegrationTravel agency partner providing travel booking services for youth exchange groups.
• Canadian NorthsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAirline partner supporting travel logistics for youth exchanges, particularly for northern and remote communities.
• True North AidsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting reconciliation efforts through youth programs, working alongside Experiences Canada and Sue Heddle.
• Destination OntariominorGTM or Marketing PartnerOntario's primary tourism marketing organization promoting the province to domestic and international travelers.
• Tourisme OutaouaisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit private organization representing 584 regional tourism businesses promoting the Outaouais region.
• Ontario SoccersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for soccer-based Indigenous youth exchanges, collaborating with Toronto High Park FC, LCI Sports, ISWO, and Experiences Canada.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AFS Intercultural Programs: Global nonprofit running intercultural youth exchanges and homestay programs in 60+ countries. Directly comparable in reciprocal youth exchange model, host-family immersion, and language/cultural learning outcomes.
• Students on Ice: Canadian nonprofit running youth expeditions to remote regions including the Arctic and Antarctic. Directly comparable in experiential learning model for Canadian youth; notably, Experiences Canada's Principal Manager (Darren Prashad) previously worked there as expedition logistics manager.
• Katimavik: Canadian federally funded youth service and experiential learning program. Comparable in target demographic (Canadian youth), government-grant funding model, and focus on cross-cultural/cross-provincial immersion.
• CISV International: Global nonprofit running intercultural youth exchange programs, including village-style homestay exchanges for ages 11-18. Directly comparable in group-based reciprocal exchanges and peace/cultural understanding mission.
• Canada World Youth: Canadian federally funded nonprofit running youth reciprocal exchanges and volunteer programming domestically and internationally. Highly comparable in mission, government-funding model, and youth exchange structure to Experiences Canada.
• Outward Bound Canada: Canadian charitable organization running outdoor experiential education expeditions for youth. Comparable in combining outdoor adventure, leadership development, and cross-cultural immersion for Canadian youth cohorts.
• Encounters with Canada: Canada's largest youth forum, bringing together high school students from across Canada in Ottawa for a week of cultural, historical, and leadership programming. Direct overlap with Experiences Canada's Youth Forum and exchange programming for ages 12-17.

Broad incumbents

• Historica Canada: National charitable organization offering bilingual educational programs on Canadian history and identity. A partner of Experiences Canada, with overlapping mission around bilingual civic education for Canadian youth.
• YMCA Canada: Federated national youth and community development organization offering a broad portfolio of youth, camping, and exchange programming. Larger and more diversified than Experiences Canada but operates in overlapping youth-development space.
• Scouts Canada: National youth organization serving ages 5-26, and an active partner of Experiences Canada (announced December 2024). Comparable in serving Canadian youth with experiential, leadership, and outdoor programming, though much larger and broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/experiencescan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@experiences_canada
• Facebookfacebook.com/experiences.canada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/experiences-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/experiencescanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about experiences canada