A donation of $100,000 will allow us to develop a program for preventing the harmful effects of screen time and promoting digital wellness for children and adolescents all across Quebec. An approach that is both scientific and rigorous, with the aim of stimulating young people's critical thinking while encouraging them to adopt a more thoughtful approach to using digital media (social media, video games, etc.). As a young organization with the wind in our sails, our program is already gaining success in schools, but secondary school students from 12 to 14 years old are not yet benefitting from our workshops. iA Financial Group would help us reach them starting in 2024.

In the short term, we plan to develop a workshop for these secondary school students and offer them to partner schools starting in the spring of 2024 to about ten classes, reaching approximately 250 young people. Starting in the fall of 2024, we would be able to offer the workshop on a larger scale based on demand from schools, ranging from 30 to 50 workshops (an additional 750 to 1,250 students). In the long term, our objective is to help young people cultivate digital wellness and healthy habits for better overall physical, mental and social health.

Charity’s mission

Le CIEL’s mission is to start a conversation about the risks that digital technology poses to our wellbeing, specifically with a prevention program about the risks of screen time for young people in elementary and secondary school. In our first few years, our workshops were offered to over 20,000 young people across Quebec. At the same time, we raise awareness by giving conferences to school teams and parents via our digital platforms, reaching more than 30,000 subscribers.

leciel.ca

A $100,000 donation would allow us to support over one hundred young newcomers to Quebec and their families to integrate into the Quebec school system, learn French and take advantage of the resources available within their community.

In small groups, twice a week, the Je Passe Partout workshops will help young people develop their confidence in themselves, their curiosity, their ability to express themselves in French and their independence. We also work with families to identify their needs and help them meet those needs by using the resources available within their community.

Participants in Je Passe Partout programs are young people in vulnerable situations at risk of dropping out. These youth come from various backgrounds including single-parent families, new immigrants, social isolation, language barriers, poor relationships with school and low self-esteem.

Charity’s mission

Je Passe Partout (JPP)’s mission is to encourage young people in difficult situations to succeed and prevent them from dropping out. The organization works together with parents, schools, social services and the school environment. Our vision is to act collectively, with a locally-based, humanist approach and in a personalized and creative way to help young people reach their full potential.

www.jepassepartout.org

A donation of $100,000 will go towards the delivery of JA's four financial literacy programs to 2,000 young people in grades 3-12 across central Ontario. These experiential programs will help learners develop important money management skills in spending, budgeting, saving and using credit, all of which will lower their risk of irresponsible financial behavior and set them up for success in their careers and future finances.

This grant will directly benefit approximately 2,000 young people in grades 3-12 classes from schools across central Ontario. The diverse group of program beneficiaries will represent varying ethnicities and social economic backgrounds seen across JA Central Ontario's region. We prioritize underserved and growing communities to ensure we impact youth who stand to benefit the most from our learning experiences.

Charity’s mission

JA Central Ontario's mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. We want to make sure all young people are economically empowered with skills, confidence and networks to shape their future in a way that works for them and those around them. With a network of volunteers, partners and educators, we deliver learning experiences for grade 3-12 students, focused on work readiness, financial health and entrepreneurship.

https://www.jacentralontario.org/

A donation of $100,000 would go towards The Four Seasons, Four Years, For Life program which is an outdoor, experiential education program for vulnerable youth from Toronto's at-risk communities. Training through the outdoors, Trails emphasizes growing and strengthening skills such as non-violent communication, conflict resolution, leadership, critical thinking, goal setting, stress management and reflection. With a focus on transference, participants build a positive engagement with the community, the outdoors, their peers and their authentic selves.

Starting at the age of 12, participants attend Trails for at least four years, with an optional fifth Leader-in-Training year. Our youth live in the highest risk and lowest income areas in the city. Our youth face a wide range of barriers, including race, single-parent families, recent immigrant families, educational challenges and exposure to risk factors including poverty, violence, poor education, low physical and mental health, lack of family support and isolated communities.

Charity’s mission

Trails was built on the belief that all youth—especially those facing barriers based on race, income, education and neighbourhood—benefit from a long-term consistent approach to engagement, one that uses outdoor experiential learning to cultivate leadership, resilience, and conflict resolution, as well as physical and mental wellness. Our mission is to challenge and equip vulnerable youth from at-risk areas of Toronto to become contributing members of the community.

www.trails.ca

The sexual exploitation of young people has been increasing. Law enforcement issued a press release noting a dramatic rise in the number of child/youth sextortion cases and noting the need for increased prevention efforts.

A donation of $100,000 would support the delivery of our prevention workshops which will reach 30,000+ youth and adults through 500+ workshops each year. We are the only organization in BC providing free educational workshops aimed at preventing sexual exploitation.

We reach young people in elementary, middle and high school settings as well as high-risk youth in care or in custody. We also reach parents and caregivers, educators, medical professionals, law enforcement and adults who work with children and families.

Charity’s mission

Our Children of the Street program works to educate young people to learn how to keep themselves and their peers safe from all forms of sexual exploitation while also supporting children and families already affected by this crime.

http://www.plea.ca/

A donation of $100,000 would go towards expanding access to the Stigma-Free Schools Program across Canada. SFS has had a profound impact on student mental health in Canada, especially in BC. With over 70,000 students benefiting from our powerful presentations since 2010, our influence is felt nationwide. The widespread adoption of our Student Mental Health Toolkit across all provinces and territories reflects the urgent need for mental health education and stigma reduction. The demand for our program beyond BC is evident. Your support enables us to expand and adapt our free, virtual Stigma-Free School Program nationally, making a lasting imprint on student wellbeing throughout the country. With 40% of students reporting worsened mental health since the onset of the pandemic, it is evident that urgent intervention is needed.

Charity’s mission

Founded in 2010, the Stigma-Free Society (SFS) is a charity based in British Columbia that promotes mental health and dismantles associated stigma nationwide. SFS offers educational tools and leadership to raise awareness of stigma and provide pathways to change. Our programs address the growing mental health crisis in Canada by focusing on understanding and eliminating stigmas of all kinds, which act as a barrier to self-acceptance, reaching out for help and accepting others.

http://stigmafreesociety.com/

A donation of $100,000 would help sustain United for Literacy's literacy programming in Saskatoon. Our programs are designed to help children, youth and families improve their literacy. These funds will support programs by supplying free materials to our learners—the tools necessary to develop their reading, writing and math skills, which in turn helps develop other areas of their lives. Literacy changes everything: lives, families and communities. It feeds growth and unleashes potential. Developing literacy through our programs helps literacy levels across Canada rise with every generation, leading to “better health and quality of life” (Coman et al., 2020).

Our programs work primarily with Indigenous people, low-income families, newcomers and refugee communities. Our programs serve children, youth and families of all ages and abilities. While we believe that potential is evenly distributed, our work has shown us that opportunity is not, including accessibility of learning supports outside of traditional learning environments.

Charity’s mission

United for Literacy is a national literacy charity. We believe literacy is a right—it changes lives, families and communities. We believe any place can be a learning place, and we do this by working with volunteers and community partners to bring much-needed, free academic supports to learners, wherever they are. We run diverse programs in Saskatoon to ensure that we provide children, youth and families with impactful literacy and numeracy programming.

https://www.unitedforliteracy.ca/

A donation of $100,000 would go towards our educational project at the Parker Street Food Program which plays a pivotal role in alleviating food insecurity within our community. It enables us to provide not only nourishment but also essential food education to our clients. Your support ensures that individuals and families not only receive meals but also learn about proper nutrition, cooking techniques and sustainable food practices. By contributing, you empower us to equip our clients with the knowledge and resources they need to make informed, healthier choices, ultimately breaking the cycle of food insecurity and fostering self-sufficiency.

The target population for assistance comprises more than 11,000 residents representing diverse social and economic backgrounds. This dynamic and inclusive community encompasses individuals from various walks of life, spanning a wide spectrum of socioeconomic statuses, cultural identities and life experiences.

Charity’s mission

Parker Street Mission is a dedicated community organization committed to its mission of providing essential support to those in need. Through collaborative efforts, we offer food, furniture and emergency assistance to empower and uplift individuals facing challenging circumstances. Our unwavering commitment to our community ensures that no one is left without crucial resources and assistance during their time of need.

https://parkerstreet.org/

The goal of this respite program for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is to open doors to education through a variety of activities and to break barriers for this vulnerable by implementing a targeted program focused on learning new skills, activities and other related sessions during the stay. Our organization is adapting to the needs of specific clients, those with ASD, modernizing our existing mixed programs.

With this project, we will use a more personalized and specialized approach, by focusing on the target clientele, autistic people. We will be able to improve our knowledge about the spectrum and eventually reuse these research methods for other disabilities or illnesses affecting our special needs clientele. The project will help us to offer a range of educational and diversified activities for people 16 to 45 years old.

Charity’s mission

The primary mission of Camp Canak is to provide children, adolescents and adults with physical or intellectual disabilities an unforgettable stay through diversified, enriching, safe and appropriate activities, while offering their families a peaceful break. We also promote the social development of the individual, autonomy and the feeling of belonging to a community.

www.campcanak.com

A donation of $100,000 would allow ESED to support more schools with their projects aimed at improving school attendance in their community to help children succeed in their schooling. $25,000 will be allocated to the Science, Technology, Trades, Engineering, Arts and Music (STTEAM) program at the Robert Service School and FH Collins School which is in demand and expected to grow; $25,000 to schools in Whitehorse which has the largest population of students; $25,000 to support mental health programs and $25,000 to support girls through mentorship, empowerment programs, personal development and learning.

ESED's project funding program is directed at solving absenteeism with a locally driven approach that more effectively relate to their unique students and classrooms in the community. These projects directly support students in kindergarten to high school, First Nations, low-income families, youth and teen girls to remove barriers, increase engagement with learning and promote a greater sense of belonging in school communities.

Charity’s mission

Every Student, Every Day (ESED) is a funding program operated by Victoria Gold Yukon Student Encouragement Society which works with the community to raise awareness and funds to support increased student attendance throughout the Yukon. Funding is made available each year to all Yukon schools, First Nations governments and organizations and community organizations who can apply for projects to develop and undertake innovative and local solutions that support attendance and success.

www.everystudenteveryday.ca