The Foundation recognizes the importance of education and how it contributes to the overall health and well-being of individuals and the community. We support post-secondary education in Waterloo Region through grants to Conestoga College, Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo. We emphasize initiatives that improve access to higher education from under-represented groups; and those that involve community partnership.
Indigenous Entrepreneurship Programming
$212,500 (2 year grant)
Developing a new model of Indigenized post-secondary business education that focuses on entrepreneurship and has the potential to significantly improve economic outcomes for Indigenous communities across the country.
Waterloo Engineering Outreach - MakerCube
$420,400 (3 year grant)
Can you imagine your child has an idea for how to solve a problem and there is a place to go to work on this? Now imagine this place comes directly to them. This is exactly what will happen with the MakerCube; a mobile Makerspace where youth collaborate, learn, explore while gaining confidence in their science, engineering and technology abilities.
Nadjiwan Kaandossiwin Gamik - Beautiful Place of Learning
$300,000
The new Nadjiwan Kaandossiwin Gamik will provide the Indigenous community with expanded programs and services and a welcoming space to support their growth and success as students and thriving members of the community.
Meaningful Contribution for Healthy Youth Development Pilot Project
$397,095
Meaningful Contribution for Healthy Youth Development Pilot Project aims to better understand how meaningfully contributing to society impacts young people. The project will involve research as well as a pilot project where 24 non-students will work with 12 non-profit organizations to find innovative solutions to social or environmental issues.
Doing Well With Conestoga
$554,120 (3 year grant)
The project is a model of inclusive post-secondary learning that integrates the needs of the whole student (psycho-social and cognitive) through mental health awareness, responsive curriculum practices, and capacity development and resiliency building that is grounded in shared understandings of the changing place of education and work.
Conrad Grebel-The Ripple Effect Education
$150,000 (3 year grant)
The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) develops and facilitates educational resources to create peace-literate citizens with demonstrable conflict resolution skills, and awareness of justice issues locally and globally.
Laurier School in the Community II
$396,896 (3 year grant)
Laurier School in the Community II (LSIC II) bridges the gap between marginalized groups and university studies. In collaboration with The Working Centre, LSIC II provides opportunities for non-traditional, socio-economically marginalized learners to explore and pursue post-secondary studies in a supportive environment free of charge.
Creating New Futures
$462,226 (3 year grant)
This project will contribute significantly to implementing an essential program for high school graduates with intellectual disabilities who are unable to enter the regular post-secondary stream, but have desire and potential to improve their level of independent functioning. The Community Integration through Co-operative Education program will provide opportunities to build life skills and develop employability capabilities for positive community integration.
Circle of Life-long Learning Camp
$240,000 (3 year grant)
The Circle of Life-long Learning Camp will create vivid learning experiences for Aboriginal children and their
parents/guardians. Presentations, classes and activities are designed to keep participants engaged, informed and entertained while exploring the power and possibilities of science (including health sciences), technology, engineering and math in a culturally based setting.
Inside-Out Canada
$191,938 (2 year grant)
Inside-Out brings incarcerated and campus-based students together as classmates in a transformative educational experience. Laurier is the national hub for Inside-Out Canada, providing instructor training, supporting program development, coordinating an alumni steering committee called the Walls to Bridges collective, and offering a variety of university credit courses.