Grants provided to 42 Canadian organizations engaging youth through innovation, entrepreneurship, STEM, mentorship and community leadership
Community grants awarded to 300 Canadian organizations since 2017
TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Rogers Communications announced it has awarded Ted Rogers Community Grants to 42 organizations who are making a difference in the lives of thousands of Canadian youth in grades 7-12. Through programs in innovation, entrepreneurship, mentorship and community leadership, these organizations are providing critical supports to youth across the country by fostering pride, building confidence and helping young people achieve their highest potential.
Since 2017, Rogers is proud to have awarded community grants to 300 youth organizations across the country, and $6.5 million in Ted Rogers Scholarships to 1,400 Canadian youth attending post-secondary education. Many scholarship recipients were nominated by community grant partners and 75% of community recipients from the Class of 2020 were members of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) communities.
“Every year, but this year in particular, NGOs and charities are working hard to meet the needs of residents across our communities,” said Joe Natale, President and CEO of Rogers Communications. “We’re very proud to work in partnership with these groups through our Ted Rogers Community Grants program, helping ensure that the next generation of rising leaders see a more leveled playing field as they reach their ambitions and full potential.”
Statistics Canada reports that although 94% of Black Canadian youth would like to pursue a university degree, only 60% believe they actually will. This year, Rogers is working in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Toronto to help launch a new program for Black youth that connects them with mentors and helps overcome barriers preventing these talented youth from achieving their dreams.
“We want Black youth to see what’s possible by connecting them with Black leaders in business and in our broader community,” said Medhat Mahdy, President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Toronto. “This grant supports the development of our new signature initiative to link Black youth with mentors who inspire, and most importantly, believe in them. We want to show Black youth that their dreams belong, and they can help make our collective future brighter.”
For Indigenous youth in remote communities, schools shuttered due to the pandemic provided a greater need and an opportunity for Ted Rogers Community Grants to support traditional land-based teachings from organizations like the SEAS program at Bella Bella Community School Society in the Heilsuk Nation in coastal British Columbia, which is empowering the next generation of environmental stewards.
“The Heiltsuk SEAS (Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards) Initiative mobilizes support and collaborations for youth in our school to replicate the kind of enriched learning style of our ancestors: communal, inter-generational, and deeply land-based, said Jess Housty, Executive Director, Qqs (Eyes) Projects Society. “The resurgence and resilience of Heiltsuk culture and knowledge is led by our youth with our whole community behind them, and programs like SEAS equip them with the tools they need to push for social and environmental transformation.”
For LGBTQ2S+ youth, navigating adolescence can be particularly difficult, according to a 2019 federal report, which showed many face bullying at school or feel they need to conceal their identities from family. Rogers 2021 grants to organizations like the Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg help provide a safe and positive space for LGBTQ2S+ youth to celebrate their identity, reduce isolation, and build social connections.
“While barriers for youth existed long before the pandemic, today’s generation of young people are walking into a very different set of challenges, but also opportunities, than ever before,” said Sevaun Palvetzian, who leads communications and corporate responsibility for Rogers. “Through our Ted Rogers Community Grants, our Ted Rogers Scholarships and other community support efforts across our company, we’re proud to angel invest in young people – who will reimagine what a new possible looks like.”
Rogers has also renewed its partnership with national organizations like Youth Science Canada, Actua, and Canada Learning Code, which encourages girls to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and help continue closing the gender gap in post-secondary education.
Supporting youth through grants, together with Ted Rogers Scholarships, is one of the key ways Rogers is committed to working in partnership with communities to help meet critical needs of our residents and neighbours. Other community programs include Connected for Success, which offers affordable Internet to bridge the digital divide. During the pandemic, Rogers has provided thousands of devices and plans as digital lifelines to women’s shelters, and to youth organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada to keep youth connected to mentors. In partnership with the Jays Care Foundation and Food Banks Canada, the company also provided 9 million meals through donations and food hampers for food banks across the country as part of Step Up to the Plate. This year, in honour of its 60th birthday and as part of The 60 Project, the Rogers team stepped up with a record number of volunteer hours to help make Canada stronger, together.
About Rogers
Rogers is a proud Canadian company dedicated to making more possible for Canadians each and every day. Our founder, Ted Rogers, purchased his first radio station, CHFI, in 1960. We have grown to become a leading technology and media company that strives to provide the very best in wireless, residential, sports, and media to Canadians and Canadian businesses. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). If you want to find out more about us, visit about.rogers.com.
For more information:
Rogers Communications, media@rci.rogers.com, 1-844-226-1338,