Our grants have been made for this year! We had $12,000 to support projects that are improving life in our community.
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Go Girls! is a group mentoring program for girls ages 12-14 that focuses on physical activity, balanced eating and self-esteem. The single, most important goal of the program is to positively shape the lives of young women and girls by helping them build a positive self-image. The program is facilitated by screened volunteers and is typically run on school property, during school hours or in neighbourhood community centers. The organization has professional casework staff on hand to provide ongoing support to volunteers, children and families throughout their time in the program. The Go Girls! program consists of 7 mentoring sessions, held over a 7 week period within school/community facilities.
Junior Achievement
Will get support for financial literacy programs (Dollars With Sense or Economics For Success) taught in all of the grade 7 and 8 classrooms in Waterloo Region in the 48 schools that have been identified as “priority” schools. The two local school boards have identified 48 schools that should be given a priority as they have a higher percentage of at-risk children and youth in them. JA staff work with volunteers to get them trained and prepared to go into the classrooms and teach the full day program
The Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Kinder Concerts in Woolwich
Will be supported Kinder concert series will feature Odawa First Nations storyteller Barbara Croall. She will perform with small ensembles or sections from the orchestra in an intimate setting for children, ages 0-5, and their families. Concerts are 30 minutes in length, story-based and presented in an interactive setting to engage children throughout the performance with opportunities for the children to interact with the musicians after the concert to ask questions and to learn more about the musicians’ instruments. Engaging pre-concert activities, in partnership with Music for Young Children, are available in the lobby to encourage children’s participation.
Just for Guys is a program run by the Kitchener Shore Centre
We want to support boys in their development to become respectful, healthy, empathetic young men. Boys in Just4Guys are challenged to think critically about their attitudes toward masculinity, their bodies, female bodies, relationships and sexuality, while also learning communication and healthy decision-making skills. Just4Guys is delivered through 8 weekly, 90 minute workshops facilitated by a male sexual health educator and male volunteer. The engaging and interactive workshops address healthy relationships, media literacy, puberty, safer sex, gender, boundaries and healthy decision-making.
The program will be delivered with grade 8 boys at Breslau Public School in partnership with the Waterloo Region Public School Board and take place during the school day to ensure program attendance.
Strong Start
Last year was such a success that we are once again supporting early literacy through Strong Start This unique, early-intervention program targets children in Senior Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2 (ages 5-7) who need a literacy boost and students learning English for the first time, up to age 9. They are selected by their classroom teacher or ESL teacher at the first signs of lagging behind in their early literacy skills. These children are paired with trained community volunteers who come into the school to work one-on-one with them, playing carefully designed games and activities.