Calling all Calgary Board of Education students, teachers, and caregivers! We are looking for new artwork to feature on our donor thank you cards. Whether it's a recent creation or something brand new – we want to showcase it!

While any imaginative piece is welcome, we're especially keen on artwork capturing local landscapes, Indigenous storytelling, nature, or the joy of kids at play.

For consideration, scan or take a clear photo of the artwork and email it to Alicia Hope-Ross by the end of February 2024.

Six art pieces will be chosen by EducationMatters staff to be used on a rotating basis for our upcoming printed donor thank you cards. The artist will be acknowledged on the back of the card featuring their art by their first name, grade, and school.

Please make sure you have approval from both the artist and their parent or guardian before submitting. All students, regardless of grade or skill level, are welcome to contribute. Let's continue our tradition of transforming our thank you cards into a canvas of student creativity!

The post An artful opportunity for CBE students appeared first on EducationMatters.

EducationMatters Loonies for Literacy is back for its second year! Loonies for Literacy is a ground-breaking initiative to celebrate the magic of books while raising funds to invest in literacy programs and materials for Calgary Board of Education (CBE) students across the city.

Local Calgary tech agency, Mobility Quotient, is proudly sponsoring EducationMatters Loonies for Literacy again this year. Last year's Loonies contributed over $80,000 to CBE school literacy resources, over half of which was provided by generous community partners and sponsors as a gift match to funds raised by schools and students directly. All CBE schools have been pre-registered this year and have their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages and customized individual Text to Donate keywords.

The funds raised by students through Loonies for Literacy will be matched by community supporters and used towards literacy programs for schools in need, including initiatives like:

-              Buying books for school libraries
-              Digital resources such as reading apps and e-books
-              Early learning resources and
-              Decodable texts

“We are proud to be involved with Loonies this year so that we can continue to move the needle forward on essential literacy programs for our CBE students. EducationMatters exceeded the outcomes we had set forth last year and we are looking forward to seeing the impact the expanded program will bring this year.” - Nikhil Sonpal, CEO, Mobility Quotient

A 2020 report from Deloitte showed that there is economic value in children’s literacy, with a recent estimate of the effects of literacy on long-run GDP per capita showing that a 1% increase in adult literacy skills translates to a 3% increase in GDP per capita. The report also shows there is evidence that children with poor literacy skills at age eight are four times less likely to graduate compared to proficient readers.
[Source: Deloitte LLP. An Economic Overview of Children's Literacy in Canada]

Loonies for Literacy began on World Read Aloud Day – February 1^st and will be running until World Book Day – April 23^rd. With the support of parents, caregivers, community members, and most importantly students, the goal is to double 2022’s contribution and continue to build a solid foundation of reading materials and resources for the next generation.

The post <strong>EducationMatters Loonies for Literacy Returns for 2023</strong> appeared first on EducationMatters.

Applications are now open for the Fall 2022 EducationMatters Student Awards! This fall we have three awards available for Calgary public school students.

Applications are open for the Laurie Sommerville Scholarship, the Breakthrough Opportunity Bursary for New Immigrants, and the Stampede Toyota Community Matters Scholarship.

All three awards are open to Calgary Board of Education students, and the Stampede Toyota Community Matters Scholarship is also open to Calgary Catholic School Division students.

Please be aware that the entry period is much tighter for these awards, with an application deadline of December 4 2022.

You can find more info about our Student Awards and apply here.

The post Our Fall 2022 Student Awards Have Launched! appeared first on EducationMatters.

Please be aware that as of August 2022, EducationMatters has a new mailing address!

You can now send any general mail or offline donations to:

EducationMatters
1221 8 Street SW
PO Box 13122 Calgary Beltline
Calgary AB T2R 1C6

Our physical address hasn’t changed, so those inside the Calgary Board of Education (city-wide) can continue to send mail to us through the CBE internal mail system.

The post New Mailing Address appeared first on EducationMatters.