2021 Ted Rogers Community Grants help empower thousands of Canadian youth, supporting our next generation of leaders and innovators - Seite 2

For Indigenous youth in remote communities, schools shuttered due to the pandemic provided a greater need and an opportunity for Ted Rogers Community Grants to support traditional land-based teachings from organizations like the SEAS program at Bella Bella Community School Society in the Heilsuk Nation in coastal British Columbia, which is empowering the next generation of environmental stewards. 

“The Heiltsuk SEAS (Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards) Initiative mobilizes support and collaborations for youth in our school to replicate the kind of enriched learning style of our ancestors: communal, inter-generational, and deeply land-based, said Jess Housty, Executive Director, Qqs (Eyes) Projects Society. “The resurgence and resilience of Heiltsuk culture and knowledge is led by our youth with our whole community behind them, and programs like SEAS equip them with the tools they need to push for social and environmental transformation.”

For LGBTQ2S+ youth, navigating adolescence can be particularly difficult, according to a 2019 federal report, which showed many face bullying at school or feel they need to conceal their identities from family. Rogers 2021 grants to organizations like the Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg help provide a safe and positive space for LGBTQ2S+ youth to celebrate their identity, reduce isolation, and build social connections. 

“While barriers for youth existed long before the pandemic, today’s generation of young people are walking into a very different set of challenges, but also opportunities, than ever before,” said Sevaun Palvetzian, who leads communications and corporate responsibility for Rogers.  “Through our Ted Rogers Community Grants, our Ted Rogers Scholarships and other community support efforts across our company, we’re proud to angel invest in young people – who will reimagine what a new possible looks like.”

Rogers has also renewed its partnership with national organizations like Youth Science Canada, Actua, and Canada Learning Code, which encourages girls to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and help continue closing the gender gap in post-secondary education.

Supporting youth through grants, together with Ted Rogers Scholarships, is one of the key ways Rogers is committed to working in partnership with communities to help meet critical needs of our residents and neighbours. Other community programs include Connected for Success, which offers affordable Internet to bridge the digital divide.  During the pandemic, Rogers has provided thousands of devices and plans as digital lifelines to women’s shelters, and to youth organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada to keep youth connected to mentors.  In partnership with the Jays Care Foundation and Food Banks Canada, the company also provided 9 million meals through donations and food hampers for food banks across the country as part of Step Up to the Plate. This year, in honour of its 60^th birthday and as part of The 60 Project, the Rogers team stepped up with a record number of volunteer hours to help make Canada stronger, together.