TABLE OF CONTENT

• Grants Approved In 2004
• Continuing Projects 2004
• Grant Summary 2004

CURRENT GRANTS

GRANTS APPROVED IN 2004

YEAR AND COST

Association Des Clubs D’Entrepreneurs Etudiants, Drummondville, Québec

This is a grant for three years to support the cost associated with the running and expansion of the “National Coordination of French-Speaking Student Entrepreneur Clubs”. The Association des clubs d’entrepreneurs étudiants (ACEE) du Québec focuses on French-speaking students in colleges, universities and vocational training schools throughout Canada(80 clubs).  The entrepreneurial spirit is fostered in these students and they are helped to create a network of business contacts during their studies.

Eva’s Initiatives,
Toronto, Ontario

This grant is to support the “One-to-One and Peer Mentorship” program offered at Eva’s Phoenix to help homeless and at-risk youth acquire the life and employment skills to become self-sufficient  Eva’s Phoenix provides youth with stable housing for up to one year while they gain practical employment skills leading to a career of their choice.  Their goal is to give the youth the tools to enable them to be self-sufficient and to leave the shelter system by providing extensive employment counselling, hands-on work experiences, life skills instruction and to participate in a variety of workshops including budgeting, workers rights and responsibilities, conflict resolution, anger management, substance use and nutrition. Eva’s mentoring programs increase the network of support and reduce the likelihood of being socially isolated by connecting to a positive, trusting relationship prior to leaving the shelter.

First Five Years,
Toronto, Ontario

Monies were provided to support the “Make the Connection” pilot program for parents of 1-2 year olds at the Ontario Early Years Centre located in the Massey Centre.  First Three Years is a charity committed to ensuring that every Canadian baby has the opportunity to be securely attached to a loving caregiver in order to give the best chance for success in later life.

Employment and Education Centre, Brockville, Ontario

A three year grant was approved to support the “Youth Volunteer Corps” program. The Employment And Education Centre (EEC) is a charitable, non-profit agency that has been serving Brockville, Leeds and Grenville area since 1985.  EEC has twenty years of experience with career and employment counselling, implementation of interventions, assessments, assisting clients to recognize and overcome barriers and provision of job readiness programs on an individual basis and in groups.  Their mission is to empower clients with employment and life skills to enhance their quality of life through the delivery of excellent service.  The Youth Volunteer Corps Program promotes volunteerism in young people while assisting community agencies with projects and preparing youth for the work force by making them responsible and accountable for the tasks that they take on in the community.

Fondation de l’entrepreneurship, Québec, Québec

This grant is to support the cost associated with the running and development of “OrientAction”, www.orientaction.ca, a website for francophone Canadian career development practitioners (francophone Contact Point, www.contactpoint.ca ) with the co-operation of Société GRICS.

Fondation de l’entrepreneurship, Québec, Québec

This grant is to support and expand the work of the “Mentoring Network” to the rest of Canada (specifically the transfer of the methodology to Newfoundland and Saskatchewan).  The Mentoring Network was launched in July 2000 as a pilot project for experienced entrepreneurs to mentor new entrepreneurs.  Projected goals were to reduce failure rates and facilitate the growth of companies in the mentoring project.  Due to the strong leadership from the Fondation team, it is currently seen as the catalyst in setting up entrepreneur mentoring in Québec and having exceeded their initials goals, The Fondation de l’entrepreneurship is looking to expand its methodology to benefit the rest of Canada. 

Global Vision, Ottawa, Ontario

Funding has been provided for the start-up cost associated with the “Junior Team Canada Training Centres”.  Global Vision embraces a full circle approach that incorporates all levels of the community into a viable partnership that creates a solid foundation for young Canadians to build upon.  Forward-thinking businesses, government, education and community leaders have joined Global Vision to help Canadian youth gain the tools to have a competitive advantage in today’s global economy.  Junior Team Canada Training Centres, helps bridge the gap between the classroom and the world of work.  The unique hand-on approach, through one and two-day sessions in 16 locations throughout Canada, counsels youth on developing their skills, knowledge and experience in order to secure meaningful employment.  Global Vision feels that by fostering skills such as leadership, innovation and teamwork and by providing youth with opportunities to make well-informed decisions to build on their goals and future career aspirations, they can strengthen communities across Canada.

Memorial University of Newfoundland

This grant was provided to support the cost to date associated with the publication of the “Canadian Journal of Career Development”.  In 2001, The Counselling Foundation of Canada supported the establishment of the Journal to launch the first issue of the Journal in both hard copy and web based format (http://www.contactpoint.ca/cjcd).   In January 2002, the first issue of the Canadian Journal of Career Development was launched at NATCON (Volume 1, No. 1, 2002).  In June 2002, The Counselling Foundation of Canada provided a grant to publish two issues of the Journal (Volume 2, No. 1, 2003 & Volume3, No. 1, 2004- a special international issue representing six countries worldwide).  Volume 3, No. 2, 2004 Special Issue – Welfare to Work has been published with Volume 4, No. 1, 2005 Special Issue – Welfare to Work due out in 2005.

Sherbourne Health Centre, Toronto, Ontario

This grant provides financial support for the “Supporting Our Youth (SOY)” Program.  The Mentoring and Housing Program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and transsexual youth matches youth with adults in the communities.  There are four kinds of matches; community mentoring, housing mentoring – in the home of a mentor, non-profit housing/mentoring and “supper club/drop-in”.

Sketch, Toronto, Ontario

This grants provides financial support for the “Skill Development and Transitional Counselling Program for Street-Involved and Homeless Youth”.  
In addition to the arts programs, attending youth have full access to Sketch’s Future Options Coordinator who provides guidance, necessary links, contacts and referrals in areas concerning employment, schooling, mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities.  In addition, Sketch now employs a resident Youth Worker who provides guidance and referrals for youth seeking primary care (e.g. health, addiction counselling), legal, social entitlements, shelter and housing.  

St. John’s Boys and Girls Club, Newfoundland

This renewal grant was provided for a final year for the continuation of the “Youth Leadership Program”. St. John’s Boys and Girls Club is a youth-serving, non-profit, charitable organization.  The Club, established in 1946, offers “After School and Drop-In Programs” to youth aged 5-17.  Their mission statement is “to provide a safe place where youth under the direction of caring adults, can develop the skills, values, emotional strength and the confidence needed to become full contributing members in today’s society”.  The Youth Leadership Program has three main areas of concentration – education, skills training and teen issues.  Members must participate in each program element making the achieved benefits holistic in nature. 

St. Stephen’s Community House, Toronto, Ontario

The renewal grant in the amount of $90,000 is to support the “Arcade Revelations” program.  The Counselling Foundation of Canada supported the pilot of this project in 2003.  A highly structured community program, developed by and for youth living in Kensington Market and surrounding neighbourhoods the program is delivered through the established drop-in program model.  It aims to link current and new drop-in activities under specific themes, in an effort to engage more youth in daily activities, to reduce violence levels in the community, promote healthy lifestyles and encourage academic excellence.

The Students Commission, Toronto, Ontario

This is a first time grant to The Students Commission.  The grant was given in two parts to fund “The Messengers Project, part 1 and The Messengers Project, part 2: Life Stories”.  The Students Commission of Canada, a national non-profit and registered charitable organization works to assist, support, facilitate, encourage, teach and train youth to prevent, address and overcome economic, social, emotional and academic problems faced by youth in order to eliminate youth poverty, advance youth education and health, and raise public awareness of youth issues in Canada and abroad.  The Students Commission has created many resources, including two career counselling resources with the input of young people: Destination 2020 and 6th Messenger.  Both resources were acclaimed for their appeal to at-risk youth.

Read To Me! Nova Scotia Family Literacy Program

This first time grant was provided to support the cost or running and expanding the Read to Me! program throughout the Province of Nova Scotia.  The program is aimed at all of the provinces maternity hospitals and reaching each of the 10,000 babies born in the province each year by providing books and educational resources to parents.  The Read to Me! Nova Scotia Family Literacy Program is a powerful, practical and effective response to the province’s high incidence of child poverty and low literacy levels.  In Atlantic Canada 52% of the population have limited literacy skills or experience great difficulty reading.  Low literacy skills impact negatively on education, employment, health care and quality of life. 

Regent Park Community Health Centre, Toronto, Ontario

This renewal grant was to support the “Community Succession Project - Pathways to Education” program to the year 2007.  Regent Park is one of the poorest areas of Toronto.  The “Pathways to Employment” was funded in 1999 at the April Board Meeting.  In 1998, a survey noted that almost double the number of Regent Park students failed to graduate compared to students in all of Toronto.  By working with various agencies and organizations, funded by The Counselling Foundation of Canada, the Regent Park Community Health Centre redeveloped its Succession Project and the program “Pathways to Education Program” known as P2E was piloted and was funded in 2001 by The Counselling Foundation of Canada.  The mission of the P2E Program is to break the cycle of poverty.  To achieve this mission, P2E provides an innovative blend of academic, social, financial and staff supports that at-risk, economically disadvantaged young people need in order to get to high school, stay in high school, graduate form high school and move on to post secondary programs.  The P2E Program provides each Grade 9 student with a mentor, tutors as required, public transportation fare (earned through attendance at school), a student-Parent Support Worker and a post-secondary education fund of $4,000 per child.  Within one year, the P2E Program has been a marked success.  The average absenteeism rate for students has been reduced considerably and is now on par with schools in affluent neighbourhoods.  By the end of the school year, a majority of the students were at or above their respective class averages for each of five core subjects.  In September, 2002, P2E was awarded the Chair’s Award of The Ontario Trillium Foundation.  In February 2003 the Program was awarded The Kroeger College Award for Citizenship and Community affairs, which is sponsored by Microsoft Canada.  In 2003 the Project and Program were once again funded by The Counselling Foundation of Canada. In April of 2004, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, has agreed to act as honorary Patron of The Pathways to Education Program of the Regent Park Community Health Centre.  The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star have given serious and extensive coverage and the CBC has featured the P2E Program on one of its programs.  Governments at all levels are stepping up to show support for the P2E Program.  Many communities and organizations have expressed an interest in attempting to implement the P2E Program themselves.

Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario

This is a renewal grant to support and develop the “Tri-Mentoring Program, Phase 2” building on the Tri-mentoring program’s successes.  The Tri-Mentoring Program was first piloted and funded in 2001 by The Counselling Foundation of Canada.  The University is one of several Canadian pilot projects participating in this initiative which includes establishing national evaluation standards and national training guidelines.  The Tri-mentoring program is currently in its 3rd year of the pilot.  During the initial three years of the program, the Ryerson Tri-mentoring Program has exceeded program targets, grown beyond expectations, and continues to evolve.  The number of students participating (500) was more than double the anticipated target, and the retention rate of students returning to participate in the Program was more than 65%.  Ryerson University has promoted the Program at national and international conferences, generating interest and follow-up discussions from various universities. 

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

This grant is to provide funds to support the cost associated with running the “Career Development – The Next Generation” conference.  The conference is being hosted by the Career Centre at the University of Toronto.

Victoria University, Toronto, Ontario

This grant to the University is given in the name of William (Bill) Maedel who passed away on Monday, November 3, 2003.  Bill Maedel was Secretary/Treasurer of the Counselling Foundation of Canada from 1958 until his retirement in 1999.

Women’s Hostels Inc./ Nellie’s, Toronto, Ontario

This grant was provided to support the “Nellie’s Planning for Our Future Project” – Nellie’s 2nd Strategic Plan from 2004 to 2007.  Funding is to allow the expansion of Nellie’s Community Support and Outreach Program.   This program provides essential support services and programs to marginalized women and children who face poverty, violence, homelessness and oppression.  The Counselling Foundation of Canada provided funding support to this program, specifically in the area of programs and services for children and youth, for one year.  Nellie’s is a women’s organization that has been assisting women and children in Metropolitan Toronto for over 30 years.  Nellie’s is a community-based organization that operates within an anti-racist, anti-oppression framework.  They have shown a demonstrated commitment to social change through education and advocacy, to achieve social justice for all women and children.  Nellie’s operates a 36-bed shelter for women and children who are homeless and who are leaving violence.  They also provide Community Support and Outreach Programs to over 400 vulnerable women and children living in the community. 

WoodGreen Community Centre, Toronto, Ontario

This grant was provided help support the costs associated with the International Federation of Settlement and Neighbourhood Centres’ conference “Neighbourhoods – Building Inclusive Communities”.