Applying as a Participant

You must be an adult (18 years old or older in Canada) to participate in a One World Program. Applicants are selected based on available space, their applications, personal references, a selection process held in Ontario (near Orillia) on the May 24th long weekend and/or interviews.

Participants are expected to contribute their share of the costs of running the program. Fund raising suggestions are available through One World. A limited amount of funding may be available to those who absolutely cannot raise their entire share of the costs.

Before asking for an application for a One World program, we ask that you familiarize yourself with the contents of this Web site, particularly the sections on Goals and Philosophy and Commitments. We have tried to make the site as comprehensive as possible, so that people who are not well-suited to One World programs can discover that for themselves, well before they bother to apply.

Selection Weekend

The May 24th Selection Weekend provides invited applicants with an additional opportunity to learn about One World, and de-select themselves, should they discover that One World is not for them. It is also an opportunity for One World to assess whether or not an individual is ready to participate in a One World program at this particular time in her or his life. Provided that applicants have met the selection criteria, space is available, all their references are in and their deposits have been received, applicants are conditionally accepted into a program.

Preparation Period

All programs begin with a preparation period — one week in the case of the Mexico summer program, and six weeks in the case of the Central America, Ghana and India programs. Participants are not permitted to switch programs once the preparation period has begun. One World does, however, acknowledge a responsibility to ensure that those who are going are compatible with each other and with the goals of the program; it therefore reserves the right to de-select participants during the preparation period in September and October (or even beyond).

Applicants who were conditionally accepted but unable to attend Selection Weekend are at a definite disadvantage. In most cases they will not meet their fellow participants until the program has actually begun, and their fellow participants will not yet have met them. Nor will they have had the same opportunity to accurately assess whether or not One World programs are compatible with their own goals and expectations until their program has actually begun.

This would also mean that the preparation period would be the first time One World has an opportunity to assess first-hand how well these individuals function as part of a group. (All three groups participating in the eight-month programs spend much of the preparation period together as one large group, under the guidance of the One World preparation period facilitation team. Mexico program participants prepare by themselves, also with the help of a One World preparation period facilitation team.)

Nevertheless, in the interests of not excluding those who live out of province (or for whatever reason are unable to attend Selection Weekend), One World has decided to include these applicants in the selection process solely on the basis of their applications, interviews, and personal references.

Program-specific information about each of the programs can be accessed from our Home Page, under “One World Programs”.

If at this point you think you are still interested in participating in a One World program applications can be obtained by writing to:

One World—Participating
658 Rockway Drive
Kitchener, ON
N2G 3B4

Or send a fax to:

1-519-743-4204