Program to recruit, prepare and support
teachers and local educators and improve educational outcomes for
over 6,000 students
TORONTO, Jan. 31,
2023 /CNW/ - Today, Scotiabank announced a
$750,000 community investment in
Teach For Canada to help improve the high school learning
experience for Indigenous students in remote First Nations
communities. Teach For Canada is a
national organization that partners with First Nations to recruit,
prepare, and support committed, certified teachers to succeed—and
stay—in the North.
Compared to the national average of 88%, only 48% of First
Nations youth living on reserve have a high school diploma. A
combination of low teacher supply and high turnover rates have
contributed to a statistical education gap between First Nations
and non-First Nations communities. However,
statistics show that targeted educational investments in
Indigenous schools result in increased high school graduation
rates, with more students completing post-secondary education and
professional designations.
Scotiabank's community investment will enable Teach For Canada
to:
- Train 150 certified teachers preparing to relocate to northern
First Nations through their two-week Summer Enrichment
Program;
- Launch and grow a professional development program for over 140
locally based educators, to support sustainable First Nations
schools that are led and staffed by local community members;
- Equip 6,000 Indigenous students in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan with a foundation for success in
a learning environment that embodies the cultural and linguistic
teachings of their homes and communities;
- Expand its programming reach into 12 new First Nations
communities across Manitoba and
Alberta, expanding its programming
reach and improving education access and learning outcomes for
Indigenous students.
"Teach For Canada's important
programming supports the recruitment and training of teachers
committed to living and teaching in remote communities," said
Meigan Terry, Senior Vice President
and Chief Sustainability, Social Impact and Communications Officer
at Scotiabank. "We're proud of this signature ScotiaRISE
partnership, which will help support more Indigenous students in
remote communities and provide them with the skills to succeed in
higher education and beyond."
"Teach For Canada is thrilled
to have Scotiabank's support as we expand our reach to partner with
First Nations across the country. Education is paramount to the
successful futures of Indigenous peoples and communities. The value
of funding partners who trust in the importance of our work cannot
be understated," said Ken Sanderson,
Executive Director at Teach For Canada.
Scotiabank's community partnership with Teach For Canada is a
signature program within ScotiaRISE, the Bank's
10-year $500 million initiative to promote economic
resilience among disadvantaged groups. Increasing high school
graduation and post-secondary participation rates is one focus area
within the initiative. To improve education and employment outcomes
for youth across its footprint, Scotiabank has also partnered with
organizations including YMCA's Alternative Suspension Program,
Pathways to Education, Connected North, the Rick Hansen
Foundation and Outside Looking In.
Learn more about ScotiaRISE.
Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples
Across Canada
Scotiabank honours the lost lives of Indigenous children and
Survivors of the residential school system. As part of our ongoing
efforts to raise awareness about the history of Canada's residential schools, we support
initiatives year round that provide education about the
intergenerational trauma they caused. Scotiabank and Teach For
Canada recognize the journey towards reconciliation and are
committed to respecting Indigenous Peoples' rights and
recognizing the path towards self determination for
Indigenous Peoples. We acknowledge and honour that from coast to
coast, we are all standing on the traditional territory of the
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People.
About Teach For Canada
Teach For Canada recruits,
prepares, and supports committed educators to help First
Nations students succeed. Our community-led programming aims to
support First Nations sustainability and ensure that all children
have access to high-quality education in their community.
Teach For Canada is partnered
with 23 First Nations in Ontario
and Manitoba. We are expanding
our reach to establish new partnerships in Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
For more information, please visit teachforcanada.ca and
follow us at @teachforcanada.
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our
purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families
and their communities achieve success through a broad range of
advice, products and services, including personal and commercial
banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and
investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of over 90,000
employees and assets of over $1.3
trillion (as at October 31,
2022), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:
BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information,
please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter
@Scotiabank.
SOURCE Scotiabank