Calling all Calgary Board of Education students, teachers, and caregivers! We are looking for new artwork to feature on our donor thank you cards. Whether it's a recent creation or something brand new – we want to showcase it!

While any imaginative piece is welcome, we're especially keen on artwork capturing local landscapes, Indigenous storytelling, nature, or the joy of kids at play.

For consideration, scan or take a clear photo of the artwork and email it to Alicia Hope-Ross by the end of February 2024.

Six art pieces will be chosen by EducationMatters staff to be used on a rotating basis for our upcoming printed donor thank you cards. The artist will be acknowledged on the back of the card featuring their art by their first name, grade, and school.

Please make sure you have approval from both the artist and their parent or guardian before submitting. All students, regardless of grade or skill level, are welcome to contribute. Let's continue our tradition of transforming our thank you cards into a canvas of student creativity!

The post An artful opportunity for CBE students appeared first on EducationMatters.

As Calgary’s trust for public education, EducationMatters has been a vanguard in encouraging career pathways for students, going all the way back to 2003 with the EducationMatters Career Pathways Endowment Fund.

According to Marilyn Field, Executive Director of EducationMatters, “We are thrilled to see the Alberta Government and the Career Education Task Force recognize the importance of career education and hands-on learning for students. At EducationMatters, we have been working to help alleviate barriers for students and provide enhancement funding to open the possibilities of students investigating and pursuing careers in the trades. We believe student access to receive the practical skills and experience in their areas of interest will help achieve benefits for the student personally as well as industry in our province overall.”

The Task Force recommendations emphasize the importance of providing Alberta’s grade 7 – 12 students with opportunities to explore career pathways and gain hands-on experience through partnerships between industry and education.

One exceptional learning opportunity provided by the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) are the Dual Credit and Exploratory Programs, which help students start career paths from trades to health and recreation to veterinary medicine to culinary arts, to cosmetology (just to name a few) and are life-changing for the students enrolled. These programs provide a hands-on learning experience for students, allowing them to get a head-start on careers while still in high school.

Since 2014, EducationMatters has granted over $1.9 Million specifically to CBE’s Dual Credit and Exploratory Programs, including some safety credentialing for students.

The Career Education Task Force made it clear that financial insecurity shouldn’t impact any student’s ability to succeed in their chosen career path. EducationMatters donors enable many students to participate in Dual Credit and Exploratory programs, and also provide support for Career and Technology Foundations (CTF), Career and Technology Studies (CTS), and fund over 100 student awards annually. More than $50,000 in trade scholarships alone are available this spring, with applications open now for Calgary students to apply. EducationMatters disbursed over $530,000 in scholarships in total in 2023, helping hundreds of students to achieve their academic goals.

As Alberta Education vows to dig deeper into the Career Education Task Force recommendations, EducationMatters encourages Calgarians, and anyone interested in making an impact for students today, to donate to one of its many inclusive and transformative campaigns or scholarships. Learn how you can be part of EducationMatters’ 20-year history and support the next generation of students by visiting the donors page, calling 403-879-7855, or emailing info@educationmatters.ca.

The post EducationMatters, supporting Calgary students from classrooms into careers since 2003 appeared first on EducationMatters.

EducationMatters Loonies for Literacy is back for its second year! Loonies for Literacy is a ground-breaking initiative to celebrate the magic of books while raising funds to invest in literacy programs and materials for Calgary Board of Education (CBE) students across the city.

Local Calgary tech agency, Mobility Quotient, is proudly sponsoring EducationMatters Loonies for Literacy again this year. Last year's Loonies contributed over $80,000 to CBE school literacy resources, over half of which was provided by generous community partners and sponsors as a gift match to funds raised by schools and students directly. All CBE schools have been pre-registered this year and have their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages and customized individual Text to Donate keywords.

The funds raised by students through Loonies for Literacy will be matched by community supporters and used towards literacy programs for schools in need, including initiatives like:

-              Buying books for school libraries
-              Digital resources such as reading apps and e-books
-              Early learning resources and
-              Decodable texts

“We are proud to be involved with Loonies this year so that we can continue to move the needle forward on essential literacy programs for our CBE students. EducationMatters exceeded the outcomes we had set forth last year and we are looking forward to seeing the impact the expanded program will bring this year.” - Nikhil Sonpal, CEO, Mobility Quotient

A 2020 report from Deloitte showed that there is economic value in children’s literacy, with a recent estimate of the effects of literacy on long-run GDP per capita showing that a 1% increase in adult literacy skills translates to a 3% increase in GDP per capita. The report also shows there is evidence that children with poor literacy skills at age eight are four times less likely to graduate compared to proficient readers.
[Source: Deloitte LLP. An Economic Overview of Children's Literacy in Canada]

Loonies for Literacy began on World Read Aloud Day – February 1^st and will be running until World Book Day – April 23^rd. With the support of parents, caregivers, community members, and most importantly students, the goal is to double 2022’s contribution and continue to build a solid foundation of reading materials and resources for the next generation.

The post <strong>EducationMatters Loonies for Literacy Returns for 2023</strong> appeared first on EducationMatters.

EducationMatters is proud to introduce a new life-changing student award coinciding with their 20^th year supporting public education students in Calgary.

Since 2003 EducationMatters has dedicated its work to enriching public school education by providing financial grants, scholarships, and awards to improve access to learning opportunities, advance equity, and remove barriers to learning for students.

Thanks to an extremely generous member of the community – the Investing in the Future Award will provide six Calgary Board of Education students in financial need the opportunity to be fully supported in their post-secondary journey.

This award provides Class of 2023 graduates with the chance to be awarded $80,000 for university programs; $20,000 in year one, with the option to renew the award for up to three years at $20,000 per year as long as the student remains in good standing with their university.

This golden ticket is open to CBE students registered in grade 12 planning to attend a Canadian higher education institution who demonstrate financial need and are completing the requirements of a high school diploma. Applicants are required to submit an original essay of approximately 500 words or a two-minute video describing “the impact on their lives and the impact they hope to have on the world should they receive this opportunity.”

Full terms of reference for the award and a link to the application can be found here.

The post Introducing the Investing in the Future Award! appeared first on EducationMatters.

Through the “Joan Ethier Women in Science Fund” EducationMatters is pleased to invite Grade 7-12 schools in the CBE to apply for a $1,000 grant.

The Joan Ethier Women in Science Grant will support educational mentorship/networking opportunities for Calgary Board of Education students who are female or who identify as female and demonstrate financial need. The intent/purpose of this grant is to increase knowledge of and access to opportunities that encourage future educational and career pathway plans for women to enter a field of the Sciences.

Programs/opportunities can take place any time between now and December 31, 2023.

To be considered for this grant simply send the following information to kschilman@educationmatters.ca by Friday, February 17, 2023 Deadline extended - Friday, March 10, 2023.

1. Describe the program/opportunity you are requesting funding for and how this will encourage female/identifying female students to enter a field of the Sciences
2. A summary of the costs associated with the opportunity and how the $1,000 will be spent.
3. Number of students participating in program/opportunity (one or many, all requests will be considered)
4. Description of how financial need is demonstrated for participating students
   

Please note that funding could be applied to a portion of a program if more students than the desired demographic are included; however, female/identifying female students who demonstrate financial need MUST be included and the number of this demographic must be included as part of the description along with the total number of students participating.

For more information please contact:

Kathryn Schilman, Grants and Student Awards Officer
403-879-5285
kschilman@educationmatters.ca

The post New Women in Science Grant for CBE Schools appeared first on EducationMatters.

Big news for Calgary Board of Education schools for the 2022/2023 school year! Thanks to the generosity of Calgary-based digital agency Mobility Quotient, CBE schools will have access to Text to Donate all year round.

Over 475 donations were made via Text to Donate during our inaugural Loonies for Literacy campaign, and due to that initial success, EducationMatters is taking the next step in modern giving and Text to Donate will now be an ongoing feature of school fundraising.

Starting October 1 2022, supporters can text EdMatters plus the school's keyword to 30333 to donate $5 or $10 to the CBE school of their choice. The donation will be added to the donor's monthly cellphone bill.

One of the highlights of EducationMatters Text to Donate will be the flexibility for schools and school councils. Each school can direct the funds raised to their own area of greatest need, or tie the donations to a community campaign. Could students at your school use technology upgrades, math manipulatives, food supports, ELL resources, outdoor recreation areas, or other educational enhancements? Let us know your plans and start text messaging this October!

The post Support Your School via Text Message appeared first on EducationMatters.

Thanks to the generosity of Mobility Quotient, CBE schools will have access to text to donate all year round!

Following the success of text to donate during Loonies for Literacy 2022, it will now be an ongoing feature of school fundraising! Starting October 1 2022, supporters can simply text EdMatters plus your school shortcode to 30333 to donate to the school of their choice and have the charge added to their monthly cell bill. Quick, easy, and efficient!

Text to Donate is perfect for collecting donations at school events and to add another donation option for school council campaigns. Donors can make a one time or monthly contribution to the area of greatest need at your school.

The post Text to Donate coming Oct 2022!!! appeared first on EducationMatters.

Applications are now open for the Fall 2022 EducationMatters Student Awards! This fall we have three awards available for Calgary public school students.

Applications are open for the Laurie Sommerville Scholarship, the Breakthrough Opportunity Bursary for New Immigrants, and the Stampede Toyota Community Matters Scholarship.

All three awards are open to Calgary Board of Education students, and the Stampede Toyota Community Matters Scholarship is also open to Calgary Catholic School Division students.

Please be aware that the entry period is much tighter for these awards, with an application deadline of December 4 2022.

You can find more info about our Student Awards and apply here.

The post Our Fall 2022 Student Awards Have Launched! appeared first on EducationMatters.

Please be aware that as of August 2022, EducationMatters has a new mailing address!

You can now send any general mail or offline donations to:

EducationMatters
1221 8 Street SW
PO Box 13122 Calgary Beltline
Calgary AB T2R 1C6

Our physical address hasn’t changed, so those inside the Calgary Board of Education (city-wide) can continue to send mail to us through the CBE internal mail system.

The post New Mailing Address appeared first on EducationMatters.

We are excited to announce Mobility Quotient as the title sponsor for Education Matters’ Loonies for Literacy!

Mobility Quotient has donated $25,000 in support of Calgary schools, students, and teachers who will benefit from this initiative. Loonies for Literacy launched April 23, 2022 on Canada Book Day.

Why Loonies for Literacy is so important to Mobility Quotient:

Literacy is the foundation for all learning. When children learn to read, it opens a whole new world of information, imagination, and communication. It’s essential to developing self-esteem, an understanding of the world, and one’s place in it. Sadly, literacy is not equitable, and there are many factors that contribute to students falling behind their peers in literacy and reading comprehension. Those factors include learning differences, language barriers, and socioeconomic factors.

Loonies for Literacy aims to make literacy more equitable across Calgary. For every dollar raised by a school during the campaign, another dollar will be provided to a school in need through contributions from community partners. All funds raised through the initiative will go towards literacy programs.

“Loonies for Literacy supports a cause that is close to my heart,” says Nikhil Sonpal, CEO. “As a parent of two children, it was painful to learn there are students in our community who lack accessibility to books. My children are avid readers, and every child should be afforded the same accessibility to literacy.”

As a community, it is vital that we foster the interest and passion for literacy at a young age and build the foundation to be successful in adulthood.

“It is essential for individuals to possess excellent reading comprehension skills especially in our industry. Continuous learning is paramount to remain relevant in the tech sector and without basic comprehension skills, one cannot survive” says Sonpal. “Focusing on literacy at the grassroots level, in our elementary and secondary schools, is imperative in teaching the importance of learning through reading and comprehension. That’s what makes this initiative so important and why Mobility Quotient is supporting EducationMatters in their drive to create more literacy learning opportunities for all students.”

Mobility Quotient is a boutique digital agency based in Calgary, Alberta. Since their inception in 2009, the tech company has been dedicated to supporting organizations that contribute to the growth and empowerment of the Calgary community. Supporting education and arts in Calgary has been a large focus for Mobility Quotient’s charitable contributions. They’ve provided internships for aspiring developers and designers from nearby universities and colleges, sponsored productions of local up-and-coming talent through Alberta Theatre Projects, donated computer equipment to the Calgary Board of Education, provided financial assistance to music programs for students in Calgary schools, and assisted teachers with workshops surrounding Computational Thinking. Mobility Quotient aims to use the power of technology and community spirit to strengthen and give back to the place it calls home.

The post Literacy support is “close to the heart” for Mobility Quotient appeared first on EducationMatters.