PATHWAYS TO EDUCATION
Founded in 2001, Pathways to Education was created due to rapid deterioration of the Regent Park community, parents a part of this community feared for their children’s safety, and for their futures. Pathways has evolved into an organization with an award-winning program that provides youth from low-income communities the resources they require in order to graduate from high school and break the cycle of poverty.
CHALLENGE
Approximately 40,000 high school students dropout of school in Canada. Dropping out of school impacts the individual as well as the community as a whole. It can limit a young person’s potential for the rest of their lives and it costs Canada billions in lost tax revenue, social assistance, and health care, not to mention there are more than 300,000 high school students facing significant barriers to their graduation. For example: financial barriers in which youth from low-income households may struggle to pay for food, school supplies, and transportation as a result of this they are more likely to leave school early. Furthermore, there are environmental barriers as youth from a variety of backgrounds struggle to integrate into the Canadian education system. Some have additional responsibilities, like caring for younger siblings which makes continuing their education a strenuous process.
INNOVATION
Pathways to education, as aforementioned briefly, delivers programs to young pupils to assist and or support them both short and long term. Their assistance extends to: tailored made student plans, tutoring, social support, mentoring, financial support and planning for life after school. Through this program, the organization hopes to build a nation of high school graduates and empowered youth. Whilst this is a very substantial goal, they have certainly accomplished a lot. 74% of Pathways graduates transitioned to post-secondary education or training in the 2018-19 school year and currently Pathways increases the employment rates of graduates by 14% in comparison to their peers.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to graduate from high school, Pathways to Education provides students living in low-income communities with the tools they need to address barriers to education, graduate from high school, and realize their full potential. Our future depends on their education.”
