Dec. 09, 2014
The November Board of Trustee’s Lighthouse Award was presented to the Rotary Club of Calgary for their Stay in School Program and for the outstanding support they provide to students by building strong relationships, assisting students to reach their goals and in developing a sense of believing in themselves.
The Rotary Club of Calgary is an organization of 150 business and community leaders who work hard to ensure Calgary remains one of the greatest and most vibrant cities in the world and has served Calgary for over 100 years. Created in 1996, the Rotary Club’s “Stay in School” program has helped underprivileged children access higher education through mentors and monetary incentives. Throughout the years, the Rotary Club has mentored over 170 students and provided 32,000 hours of mentorship support.
The Stay in School Program provides one-on-one mentorship and funding for post-secondary education to students at risk. In addition to this program, the Tom Jackson Stay in School Program, focuses on Aboriginal youth by mentoring and encouraging them to stay in school and raise the high school graduation rate amongst Calgary’s Aboriginal population.
Catherine Brownlee from the Rotary Club of Calgary introduced two students who she has personally mentored. Zakariya and Saila spoke about their personal experiences with Rotary Club of Calgary:
“The partnership that the Rotary Club has with the CBE has made a significant difference to many people’s lives including mine. The only reason why I will be able to go to college or university is because of the scholarship I received from the Rotary Club which I am deeply thankful for”. Saila
“The Rotary Club of Calgary has assisted me to be a better student due to positive reinforcement and encouraging motivation. My mentor and best friend Catherine Brownlee is a prime example of this. Catherine didn't push me to do better, she made me push myself. I now believe that leadership is not the power to command but to suggest and let thought and action grow naturally”. Zakariya
The Calgary Board of Education and Rotary Club of Calgary have a shared vision committed to having every student within the CBE complete their High School education.
