What's the Difference?

Ontario Ranger Program

  • A young person from anywhere in Ontario has an opportunity for one of 278 jobs.
  • Open to any youth, aged 17, from any urban or rural community in Ontario.
  • Eight weeks away from home.
  • Word, educational, and recreational components. Clearing trails, planting trees, maintaining canoe routes, fish and wildlife projects, collaborating with aboriginal groups, working in the kitchen, and camp maintenance.
  • Learn independent living by doing one's own laundry, household chores, cooking and kitchen help.
  • Opportunity to work in large teams to undertake big projects.
  • IF A JOB IS 90 kms OR MORE FROM THE COMMUNITY: Leave for the job site on Monday morning, set up camp for the work week, travel back to the base camp on Friday. This results in a full work week with minimal travel time.
  • GETTING TO WORK: Already on the job. Wake up, do your chores, eat a full breakfast and report for duty.
  • Build relationships and networks with dozens of peers from across the province.
  • Live and work with 20 peers from unique cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
  • Technology-free environment.

  • Live in a wilderness environment.
  • At night cook s'mores over a campfire with your team mates.
  • Once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Stewardship Youth Program

  • A young person with the means to commute to the work site each day competes for one of four available jobs.
  • Excludes youth from large urban centres.

  • Day job.
  • Trail maintenance and other fish and wildlife projects. Work cannot be done on the same scale as the Ontario Ranger Program.

  • No life skills learned.

  • Work in small groups on small community-based projects.
  • IF A JOB SITE IS 90 kms OR MORE FROM THE COMMUNITY: 50% of each day is spent traveling to and from the work site (depending on traffic conditions).

  • GETTING TO WORK: Commute to and from work every day.

  • Builds relationships and networks with three working peers.

  • Remain in your home community.

  • Access to internet, cellphones, TV, and all forms of social media.
  • Regular community environment.
  • Hang out at the mall or grab a burger at the drive-thru.
  • A summer job.