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Catapult Canada was created to respond to a growing gap in access to learning opportunities for young people across Canada. Youth-serving organizations are doing critical work, but many face barriers to funding, capacity, and long-term sustainability. At the same time, too many young people, especially those in under-served communities, are missing out on experiences that build skills, confidence, and connection. Catapult was designed to help bridge that gap by investing directly in community-based organizations, while also strengthening the broader ecosystem that supports youth learning. The goal is not only to expand access, but to ensure those opportunities are meaningful, equitable, and rooted in the realities of the communities they serve.
In practice, Catapult Canada combines funding with hands-on support for youth-serving organizations. Through national funding calls, selected organizations receive grants to expand or enhance programs that provide young people with skills-building, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities. Beyond funding, Catapult offers capacity-building supports, including shared learning opportunities, and connections across a national network of organizations. Grantees participate in gatherings and knowledge-sharing where they discuss what is working and where challenges remain. This approach allows organizations to strengthen their impact locally, while contributing to a broader, shared understanding of how to better support young people across Canada.
Catapult Canada has grown through successive national funding rounds and an expanding network of partners and grantees across every province and territory. Interest has increased significantly over time, with hundreds of organizations applying from across the country.
As the program evolves, Catapult is also expanding into more focused pilots. A new initiative brings together organizations working to create stronger pathways for women in STEM. Alongside funding, this pilot is designed to build a collaborative network through a structured series of in-person and virtual gatherings.
These gatherings are facilitated to move beyond simple knowledge sharing. Organizations will work through common challenges together, reflect on what is and is not working in their programs, and explore practical solutions that can be adapted across different contexts. The model creates space for honest conversation, peer support, and collective problem-solving, while also capturing insights that can inform the broader sector.
This approach is helping Catapult extend its reach by strengthening connections between organizations, with the intention of scaling this more collaborative, network-based model over time.
Catapult Canada has evolved in response to what we have learned from organizations and communities. Early on, it became clear that funding alone was not enough. As a result, the program expanded to include more intentional capacity-building, opportunities for peer learning, and a stronger focus on shared measurement and evaluation.
Through our new pilot, we hope to deepen this approach by creating more structured opportunities for organizations to learn from one another, work through shared challenges, and build practical solutions together. With facilitation and intentional design, the pilot is helping us understand how collaborative networks can strengthen both individual programs and the broader ecosystem.
Catapult Canada operates through periodic funding calls, so the first step is to watch for upcoming opportunities and apply when a call is open. Each call outlines the focus, eligibility, and application process for organizations interested in participating.
In the meantime, organizations can connect with the broader Catapult community and explore shared resources available through our website. These include insights, tools, and examples from across the network that can help inform and strengthen your work.
