Read to help foster kids in Canada!
Child Welfare PAC Canada is hosting a "Read-A-Thon" event as a fundraiser in partnership with Mind Growth Education.
By the age of majority, foster youth are expected to be fully independent, credentialed, and career-ready for life as contributing members of society. These unrealistic expectations result in significant struggles in early adult life. That is why tuition waivers with no age limits at post-secondary institutions are so important for this often-invisible group. Post-secondary is the only evidence-based pathway that levels the playing field for foster kids. So far, the Child Welfare PAC team has arranged 130 tuition-free places at 10 institutions across 3 provinces. “We still have a long way to go to ensure these opportunities exist country-wide at all schools,” said Jane Kovarikova, founder of the Child Welfare PAC, former Crown Ward, and current doctoral candidate at Western. The funds from this Read-A-Thon will give all Child Welfare PAC to continue to establish more tuition-free places across the country.
* Fundraiser: Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 to Wednesday,
February 10th, 2021
* Read-A-Thon: Thursday, February 11th, 2021 to
Thursday, February 25th
,
2021
Did you know? Family Literacy Day takes place every January 27th to raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy -related activities as a family - this would be a great day to promote your fundraising efforts!
How could we help?
STEP 1: REGISTER
Register your child(ren) or even yourself
to participate in the "Child Welfare PAC Canada's Read-A-Thon
Fundraising Event". Once registered, you'll have your own
customized online Fundraising Campaign page! Start sharing your
link on your social media outlets, on a newsletter, via
email campaigns or even by text - Just make sure it is visible to
everyone for the best result! This event is not just for children,
adults are welcomed to participate too.
Want to raise funds only? We have a line-up of students
interested in reading on your behalf! Register to participate and
email info@mindgrowtheducation.com to let us know
that you would like to partner with a student and we will assign
your reading minutes to them!
STEP 2: FUNDRAISE
For every dollar raised results in them reading for one minute. Set a target as your personal fundraising/reading goal! Your goal could be to read 200 minutes (200 dollars), 500 minutes (500 dollars) or 1,000 minutes (1,000 dollars) — the main thing is to challenge yourself or your family and have some fun!
Make sure to share your fundraising/reading goal on your campaign page!
Every participant is committed to raise at least $200 for Child Welfare PAC until Wednesday, February 10th, 2021!
Get the word out to your friends and family and tell everyone about the "Read-A-Thon". Ask them to support you by making a contribution towards your cause ! It's as easy as asking 10 people for $10, 4 people for $25, or any combination you can think of!
Bonus!
Guaranteed prizes: Each participant
will receive a brag tag and a certificate of achievement!
Draw Prizes: Each participant will be entered into a
draw for one of the prizes in the tier they qualified for (maximum of
one prize per participant).
Please note:
1) Images may not represent actual colour or style of prizes.
2) In the unlikely event of a tie for the most money raised, a winner will be determined by a draw.
3) Participants are eligible to win one of the prize draws. If a participant's name is drawn more than once, they will retain the prize with the higher value and the lower value prize will be drawn again.
STEP 3: GET READING
Starting on Thursday, February 11th, 2021 , participants start a virtual, cross-Canada road trip via an innovative program from Mind Growth Education. Their daily reading sessions take them on a storybook adventure across this great country, building more reading skills while exposing them to all sorts of fun and educational facts about Canada. (Equally as educational for adults too!) - you will be provided by email with your Mind Growth Education login information on Wednesday, February 10th or Thursday, February 11th, 2021. : )
Post about your progress using the hashtag #readtohelpfosterkidscanada and tag your friends to join in!
STEP 4: REAP THE REWARDS
Join us for a Facebook wrap-up post on Thursday, February 25th, 2021 featuring event highlights, winner announcements for the top readers/fundraisers, and so much more!
Register or contribute today if you agree that every child deserves an enriching experience after foster care that leads to success or help by sharing this link with your colleagues, friends and family.
Fun facts!
After completing their reading log program, participants will have had over 500 - 1,000 additional minutes of reading. This has proven to increase their reading speed, comprehension and higher thinking level. A wonderful byproduct is that they frequently increase time they spend in recreational reading providing a great alternative to video games and social media content.
How will the funds be used?
85% of the net funds raised by this
"Read-A-Thon" will be used towards costs associated with
advocacy for no tuition policy change at Canadian Post-Secondary
Schools for people raised in foster care. The other 15% is used
to pay Mind Growth Education's fee to cover the Mind
Growth Education subscription cost, administrative fee, rewards
expenses + the Paypal or Stripe payment processing fees and
transaction costs.
About Child Welfare PAC Canada
The Child Welfare Political Action Committee Canada
(Child Welfare PAC) is a federally incorporated not-for-profit
that advocates for a progressive child welfare system. Research has
shown that youth leaving the child protection system at the age of
majority have worsened life outcomes than their peers. The system
continues to struggle to ensure youth succeed after care. The key to
breaking the cycle is evidence-based policy-making aimed at improving
youth life outcomes.
Want to learn more about Child Welfare PAC? Check out this video - Steve Paikin speaks with a group of educators and former foster kids about social mobility: post-secondary education.
Check out this video from Vancouver Island University:
Candice is a second year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student who grew up in the foster care system in British Columbia. Through Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Youth in Care Tuition Waiver program, she receives free tuition for her university education and financial help with books and living expenses. VIU was the first post-secondary institution in British Columbia to offer a tuition waiver for youth in care and in 2015/16 VIU granted 64 tuition waivers to youth aged out of care. The funds received from donors help students cover the cost of books and living expenses so the students can focus on their studies while in the program.
About Mind Growth Education
Mind Growth Education was founded by Isabelle Baril, a wife, a mother, a classroom teacher and an entrepreneur raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada but now lives on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Isabelle and her team create interactive and fun reading log programs that can be used at home or in the classroom, combining social studies and daily reading, making reading log programs fun again! After her first year in business, Isabelle recognized a huge need for an easier, educational and virtual way to fundraise money for schools and organizations; therefore she created Mind Growth Education's Fundraising Program: Read-A-Thon. Spend time reading not selling! This unique concept is breaking down the barriers of the traditional fundraiser and gets participants to power through a virtual reading adventure and build skills to last a lifetime.
Fundraisers
Highlights
See all activity43
