Scotiabank Invests in Students in British Columbia Ahead of Its 182nd Annual Meeting

KELOWNA, BC and TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - April 07, 2014) - Budding art, design and media graduates and community non-profit organizations will benefit from two Scotiabank donations announced today to post-secondary education institutions in British Columbia.

A $250,000 gift to the Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver will create the Scotiabank Platform Entrepreneurship Program. A $100,000 donation to Okanagan College in Kelowna will establish The Scotiabank Centre for Non-Profit Excellence.

"Through these gifts, we hope to give students the opportunity to learn about business -- which we believe is key to any successful enterprise," said Brian Porter, President and CEO of Scotiabank. "Education is one of the pillars of our philanthropic program, Scotiabank Bright Future, and to us, investing in education means investing in our communities."

The Scotiabank Centre for Non-Profit Excellence at the Okanagan College School of Business will help students learn business skills to support local non-profit organizations. Through course content and faculty-supervised research, students will assess the needs and critical gaps within non-profit organizations. Students will provide consulting services to help organizations improve operational capacity, deliver measurable impact, and potentially reduce reliance on external funding. Local Scotiabank employees will support development of the curriculum.

"Today's announcement of support from Scotiabank is welcome news for Okanagan College, our students and the many community organizations who will benefit from this funding," said Jim Hamilton, President of Okanagan College. "Our School of Business has strong ties with many not-for-profit entities and other community organizations who provide excellent learning opportunities for our students and who in turn benefit from their expertise and knowledge. Scotiabank's generous gift acknowledges just how important these partnerships are to the well-being of our community and we thank them for their investment in our students and our college."

The Scotiabank Platform Entrepreneurship Program -- the first collaboration of its kind introduced at the school and aimed at graduates -- will prepare enterprising Emily Carr University graduates to take their business ideas from concept to completion. Delivered by the University's Department of Continuing Studies, it will allow students to work individually and collaboratively to develop a business plan and communications strategy under the guidance of advisors and venture capitalists. Platform will provide graduates with business start-up skills in financial planning, market analysis, communications and intellectual property management.