Feds on the right Pathway

Does HCF’s very own Grace Diffey have the ear of the Prime Minister of Canada? Less than two weeks after she blogged about it here in this illustrious forum, the federal government announced today that it is making a $20 million commitment over the next four years to the charitable organization Pathways to Education Canada.

For those not familiar with it, Pathways is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 in the Regent Park community in Toronto “to reduce poverty and its effects by lowering high school drop out rates and increasing access to post-secondary education amongst disadvantaged youth…” Pathways’ approach is to provide support to high school students in four key areas: academic, social, financial, and advocacy, recognizing that support across these areas is far more effective than support in any one area alone.

Pathways has been evaluated and shown to be successful and cost-effective in reducing drop-out rates. It has expanded into other communities – including in Hamilton – with the same promise. And, fresh commitments from the federal government, the provincial government in Manitoba as well as continued support from corporate donors, private philanthropists and community foundations – including the Young Fund at the Hamilton Community Foundation – there is reason to be hopeful that Pathways’ success will be replicated in an ever-increasing number of neighbourhoods across the country.
For more information on Pathways to Education Canada, please see: https://www.pathwaystoeducation.ca/home.html

For more information on Pathways in Hamilton, please see: https://www.nhchc.ca/index.php/community_programs/pathways_to_education