Hi All,
As some of you know, in my spare time these last few months, I’ve been working to bring a program called Pathways to Education to
Edmonton. For those of you who are unfamiliar, check it out here:
http://www.pathwaystoeducation.ca/home.html . In March, the Federal Government made a four-year, $20 million investment in Pathways to expand across
Canada. This funding is aimed at allowing thousands of additional youth in low-income communities access the supports they need to achieve academic success.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
I’m ambitiously aiming to get the program up and running in Alberta in September 2012. While this is usually a three year process, I’ve already made significant headway and I’m optimistic! The Pathways program provides financial, advocacy, academic and social supports.
If we are to be off and running by September, we will need a roster of approximately 40 volunteer tutors and 30 volunteer mentors to lend a hand one night a week. Tutors will help students with homework in the 5 core subjects, and mentors will work in groups (10 students and 3 mentors per group) facilitating social mentoring sessions in a particular area of interest (theatre, arts, technology, sports!).
If you think this might interest you, please let me know and I will add you to an email list that will keep you up to date of our developments! Please also send this email along to anyone else who might be interested, and have them get in touch with me. If you want to know more, I’d be happy to chat over coffee/beers J
Some Stats (because I’m a bit of a stats geek)
Alberta’s high school completion rate currently sits around 79%, that means that 1 in 5 students still does not finish high school. Some groups such as First Nations, Metis and Inuit have completion rates as low as 45.8% - half of these students will not get a high school diploma. Alberta currently has the third highest dropout rate in Canada behind Manitoba and Quebec.
The Pathways program is implemented in a community that is both chronically low-income, and has extremely low high school completion rates. The first Pathways program started in Regent Park, Toronto in 2001. It now operates in 11 locations, mostly in central/east Canada. Some success rates are worth noting:
· Average pre-pathways dropout rate: 56%
· Average post-pathways dropout rate: 11.7% (this is lower than the national average)
· Average pre-pathways student participation in post-secondary education: 20%
· Average post-pathways student participation in post-secondary education: 80.6% (this is higher than the national average as well AND the ratio of university/other post secondary enrollment is 10% higher than the national average).
· Social return on investment for this program is estimated at 24:1 (higher income tax, sales tax, reduced health problems, reduced contact with the justice system, reduced social benefits reliance, and significantly better welfare and opportunities for the next generation).
We all know the advantages of a sound education. I've been fortunate enough to embark on a career that offers me stability, personal growth, and satisfaction. I’m happy to be at a place where I can give others the same opportunities that were given to me.
Cheers,
Stacey Gellatly-Dadic
Twitter: @Lygja
Blog: Lygja.blogspot.com
Phone: 780-686-8008
Email: Stacey.dadic@gmail.com
“If you ask people to reach deep, to think creatively, and to produce extraordinary results, they usually will. [The problem is that] all too often in our modern world, they are simply not asked.”
~John Wood, Room to Read
