DEH CHO - When Sean Hayto arrived in Wrigley he had trouble sleeping for the first few nights.

Coming from Toronto, Ont. where he was attending university, Hayto was used to falling asleep listening to the noises of the city.

Shawn Alli, right, a Beaver volunteer in Wrigley, clowns around with Raylene Moses, Haily Moses and Ivan Clillie. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

"I got up here and no noise," said Hayto.

Hayto is one of nine Beaver volunteers who have been learning about life in the North by volunteering.

Every day brings something new for the volunteers, who are scattered in five communities including Fort Simpson, Trout Lake, Nahanni Butte, Wrigley and Fort Providence. They are all part of a program called Operation Beaver that is run by the Frontier's Foundation. The program brings participants from around Canada and across the world to volunteer in the Northwest Territories.

Life in the North can be very different than what the volunteers are used to in their home communities.

Hayto, who's originally from Vancouver, went to elementary schools with more than 300 other students. Working at the Chief Julian Yendo school with just over 20 students is a big change, he said.

At the school Hayto helps teach computer and physical education classes and tutors students.

"It's been a good experience," said Hayto who arrived in mid-September and will be staying until June.

Other new experiences have included snowmobiling, something that Hayto did for the first time a few weeks ago.

Only having access to a few stores and a small range of products is one difference Barbara Welpi has noticed since arriving in Fort Providence.

The Northern winter is also different, said Welpi, who's from Switzerland.

Where she lives outside of Zurich there's not as much snow this early in the winter and the temperature seldom drops below -18 C.

"It's different but it's nice," she said.

Welpi is one of three volunteers at the Deh Gah school along with Betty Bratesi and Rachel Vanderveen.

Welpi helps in different grades with a number of subjects including English, math, chemistry and physical education.

"It's a little bit of everything," she said.

The experience has been good so far, she said.

"I enjoy it," said Welpi.

Betty Bratesi, from Turin, Italy, said she's also enjoying life in the North.

Bratesi decided to volunteer because she wanted a chance to explore outside of Europe in a country that would be different for her.

"Northern Canada is something I've never seen before," she said.

Living in Fort Providence agrees with Bratesi, who's from a small town.

"I like it. It's quiet," she said.

Not all Beaver volunteers help in the school system. In Wrigley, Shawn Alli is the youth centre coordinator for the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation.

The youth in Wrigley are no different then kids anywhere else, said Alli. No matter where you go kids all want the same things such as attention, love and affection, he said.

"They're all very good kids," Alli said.

Alli is originally from Toronto but said he doesn't miss big city life.

"I like small communities. I love it here," said Alli.