Apply to NYA | Northern Youth Abroad

Applications now closed.

Thanks to everyone who applied! We will be interviewing everyone who applied, and will contact all applicants and mentors when we make selections.

Who Can Apply?

Any youth between the ages of 15 and 20 (as of June 1, 2026) living in Nunavut or the Northwest Territories can apply to NYA Canadian or Next programs.
Youth do not need to be attending school to apply or participate.
This application is only if you have not completed an NYA Core Program before (Canadian, Next, or International). If you are an NYA Alumni, we will send you an email directly with a different application. If you haven’t received a copy or if your email has changed, let us know at nya@nya.ca.

How to Apply

Please read about NYA, and our Canadian and Next Programs below. Choose which program is a better fit for you.
Interested youth should fill out an application online, using the “Apply Now” button above.
Youth can also send in a paper application by email to nya@nya.ca or fax to 613-232-2121. Paper applications have been mailed to all schools and can be printed from this page.
Youth will need to find a Mentor, who is an adult that can help the Participant complete and send in assignments and support them as they get ready for travel. A Mentor can be a teacher, a boss, an NYA Alumni, a rec coordinator etc. A Mentor can’t be a family member or someone who lives in the same house as the youth.
Each youth needs 2 referrals forms. 1 is completed by their Mentor, and 1 is from another adult who does not live in the same house as the Applicant (called a second referral).

Referral Forms

Applications are now closed, thank you!

What is the NYA Canadian Program? What is NYA Next?

The NYA Canadian and Next Programs are programs for youth from Nunavut and the NWT that gives opportunities to travel, gain work experience, earn high school credits and more! They are both 10-months long, and are highlighted by a summer placement in Southern Canada. Over 650 young people from Nunavut and the NWT have completed an NYA Core Program.

As an NYA Program Participant, youth will:

Work on assignments in their home community between February and June with the help of a Mentor. These assignments help prepare youth for a summer placement in the south.
Attend a five-day Orientation program in Ottawa.
Complete a summer placement in one of Canada’s provinces.
Attend Re-Orientation after placements are finished before returning home.
Complete a series of fall assignments after returning home.

Additionally, Canadian Program Participants will:

Stay with a Host Family in southern Canada.
Travel and live with another NYA Participant (who we call a placement buddy) during the summer.
Volunteer full-time at a work placement and gain work experience.
Gain independence.

Additionally, Next Program Participants will: