RISE is designed for young people aged 18-30 with little or no previous experience in volunteering. Over the course of 22 weeks as a RISE Ambassador, you will develop skills, learn about community engagement, and work with your peers to build something meaningful together. 

There are two cohorts each year: the spring cohort goes from January to June. The fall cohort goes from August to December. Youth ambassadors are expected to commit to six (6) hours a week of volunteering: three (3) hours at an in-person hub night and three (3) hours online.

There is also a mandatory all-expenses-paid weekend retreat at the beginning of each cohort. Ambassadors from across Canada come together to meet each other, build skills, and get inspiration for their projects.

As an organization mandated with engaging all youth in our democracy, it is important for us to create space for young people who aren’t included in everyday conversations. Democracy starts locally and starts with the issues that concern us in our day to day lives. In order to bring youth together around some of the biggest challenges we collectively face, we’ve identified RISE themes to engage in each year. The purpose is to help inspire and direct the community project you will create.