Co-operative Links for Youth
Youth Co-op Links
North American Students of Co-operation NASCO
The North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) organizes and educates affordable group equity co-ops and their members for the purpose of promoting a community oriented cooperative movement.
Student Housing Co-operatives in Canada
Many Canadian university cities benefit from the presence of at least one student co-op:
- in the West, Campus Residence Co-operative Association (New Westminister, British Columbia); Assiniboia Community Housing Co-operative (Edmonton, Alberta); College Housing Co-operative Limited and Common Ground Co-operative (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
- in Ontario, Campus Co-operative Residence Inc. and Neill-Wycik Co-operative College (Toronto); Guelph Campus Co-operative; Waterloo Co-operative Residence; Science ’44 (Kingston)
- in Quebec, Coopérative d'habitation étudiant Triangle Rose (Montreal)
- in the Atlantic provinces, New Brunswick Residence Co-operative (Fredericton).
BC Co-operative Association Youth programme (BC, Canada)
The key objective of the BCCA youth program is to increase the awareness and involvement of BC youth in the co-operative and credit union sector in BC, and to create support systems and partnerships with key stakeholders to sustain this effort over the long term.
Alberta Community & Co-op Association Youth Program
A week spent at the Co-operative Youth Program includes all the usual activities like volleyball, swimming, canoeing and hiking, but, this is not just any summer program. It also includes many individual and group challenges, games and exercises designed to help you get the most out of your experience.
Saskatchewan Co-operative Youth Programme (Canada)
The Saskatchewan Co-operative Youth Program contributes to the personal development of youth and encourages their active involvement in community and co-operative organizations. The uniqueness of the Program stems from its ability to provide a co-operative, participatory learning experience for young people, co-op staff and volunteers, within a positive, enjoyable environment.
Manitoba Co-op Youth Leadership
The Manitoba Association holds a semi-annual Co-op Youth Leadership Seminar for young adults between the ages of 15 and 18 years. Emphasizing learning through participation, the seminars encourage participants to play an active role in their leadership development process. Educational topics covered include: communication and public speaking skills, values discussions, working effectively in a group setting, diversity, global development, co-operation and cooperatives and leadership skills. The seminars provide an exciting opportunity for personal development, recreation and lots of fun!
Ontario Co-op Internship Experience Program
In partnership with Service Canada - Career Skills, On Co-op facilitates the Co-operative Internship Experience Program (CIEP). CIEP is a wage-subsidized employment and skill-building program. It provides co-operative organizations with Interns, while building the skills and knowledge of a new generation of leaders.
Atlantic Co-operative Youth Leadership
The Atlantic Co-operative Youth Leadership (ACYL) is a program designed for the purpose of co-operative youth development in the Atlantic provinces. Their objective is to provide a creative and exciting learning environment that will encourage youth to become leaders in their community and cooperative organizations.
This site is for youth interested and involved in the co-op movement.
The ICA Youth Network was established in 2003. Today over 100 young people from 20 countries participate in the Network through an electronic listserver. The Network aims to:- help young co-operators from different countries to connect, share experiences and ideas;
- provide an environment where young co-operators can learn more about the wider co-operative movement;
- involve young people from outside the movement through education and support;
- empower young co-operators to engage with the rest of the movement to both raise the profile of youth issues and to ensure the youth perspective is presented during wider discussions.
Info-Guide - Young Entrepreneurs (Gov't of Canada/Quebec)
The purpose of this Info-Guide is to direct young Québec entrepreneurs to the various resources made available to them by the federal and provincial governments, the private sector, and certain non-governmental organisations.
Coopératives Jeunesse de Services (CJE, Canada)
Each Carrefour is an independent community organisation that provides a free information service for young adults 16 to 35 years of age on job search, going back to school or starting up a business or a project. For more information, call 514 393-9155 or visit http://www.cjereseau.org/fr/index.asp (In French only)
Canadian Co-operative Links
The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA)
Canada's umbrella organization of anglophone co-operatives.
le Conseil Canadien de la Cooperation (CCC)
CCC is the national association representing the francophone co-operative movement in Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Co-operatives
Nova Scotia Co-operative Council
conseil de la cooperation du Quebec
Conseil de la Cooperation de l'Ontario (CCO)
Ontario Co-operative Association
Manitoba Co-operative Association
Saskatchewan Co-operative Association
conseil de la cooperation de la Saskatchewan
Alberta Community & Co-op Association
British Columbia Co-operative Association
The Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation
Promoting co-op principles, democracy and worker ownership and control.
CoopZone
Provides tools, co-op development resources and advice on starting and growing co-operatives.
Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) is the organized voice of the Canadian co-operative housing movement.
Co-operative Grocer: Canadian and U.S. Food Co-op Directory
Related Links
Credit Union Central of Canada
Concentra Financial is a credit union company and an integral part of the Canadian co-operative financial system.
Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
International Co-operative Links
International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)
ICA is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide.
Mondragon Corporacion Cooperative
New Zealand Co-operatives Association
Consejo Central de Juventudes Agrarias Cooperativistas de A.C.A. (Argentina)
Club Juvenil Cooperativo Coomeva - Cali (Colombia)
Young Co-operative Network (UK)
The University Students´ Co-operative Association (Berkeley, CA, USA)
Student Co-operative Association (Oregon, USA)
Inter-Co-operative Council ICC, (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA)
Government Links
Co-operatives Secretariat of the Government of Canada
Co-ordinates the interaction between government and the co-operative sector.
Statistics Canada
Community Economic Development Links
The Canadian CED Network (CED Net)
The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) is a national member-led organization committed to strengthening Canadian communities by creating better economic opportunities and enhancing environmental and social conditions.
The Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Program (CEDTAP)
The Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Program (CEDTAP) is Canada’s largest non-profit (non-governmental) granting agency in the field of Community Economic Development (CED).
The Centre for Community Enterprise
The Centre for Community Enterprise is a pre-eminent source of expertise and resources in starting and strengthening CED organizations, revitalizing communities, developing community-minded businesses, CED curriculum design and delivery, and publishing - including the quarterly CED magazine Making Waves.
Pan-Canadian Community Futures Development Network
Gateway to a network of 268 Community Economic Development offices across Canada.
Co-operative Education and Research Links
The Social Economy Centre of the University of Toronto
Association of Co-operative Educators (ACE)
ACE is a membership organization that brings together educators, researchers, cooperative members, and cooperative developers from across cooperative sectors and national borders.
The Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation (CASC)
The vision of the Network is to serve as a space for post-secondary academic dialogue, information dispersal and education on the Social Economy.
The Centre for the Study of Co-operatives at the University of Saskatchewan
The Centre is an interdisciplinary teaching and research institute at the University of Saskatchewan.
The Society for Co-operative Studies (UK)
The Society is an independent voluntary organisation seeking to advance the education of members and the public on all aspects of the Co-operative Movement.
British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies
The British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies (BCICS) is a catalyst for research, learning, and teaching about co-operative thought and practice. The Institute, founded in January 2000, is based at the University of Victoria. BCICS collaborates locally, nationally, and internationally with other post-secondary institutions, the co-operative sector, governments, individuals, and communities interested in co-operative development.
Center for Cooperatives, University of Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (UWCC) strives to study, promote and research cooperative action as a means of meeting the economic and social needs of people.
Rural Cooperatives Center, University of California, Davis
The center's mission is to provide research, education, extension and outreach to California's rural cooperative community.
Coady International Institute, St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia
Since 1997, the Coady International Institute's Youth In Partnership Program has given recent Canadian university graduates experience working with development organizations in their area of expertise, to help them increase their understanding of development issues and participate in their roles as global citizens. The program is also aimed at providing experience that will improve participants' employment opportunities when they return from their internship.
European Community of Consumer Co-operatives (Euro Coop)
Euro Coop is the European community of consumer cooperatives.
Northwest Cooperative Development Center (USA)
The Center is a nonprofit organization devoted to assisting new and existing cooperative businesses.
Overseas Coop Development Center (USA)
U.S. cooperative development organizations (CDOs) and their members provide technical assistance and training for overseas development. T
Centre for Co-operative Studies, University College Cork, Ireland
The Centre fosters research, study and education about co-operatives. It is a strong focus of support for academics who are interested in co-operatives and it works closely with many national and international co-operative bodies.
Japan Institute for Co-operative Research
Under the Japanese system, workers co-operative are not yet recognized. This organization, along with Japanese Workers Co-operative Union, are promoting the legislative works for establishing Workers Co-operative Laws with other type of co-operatives.