In 2018, EducationMatters is celebrating 15 years of creating opportunities for students in Calgary. Since opening our doors in 2003, we’ve worked closely with generous donors to provide educational enhancements to students in the Calgary Board of Education, like Cheyenne.

Cheyenne grew up sleeping on the floors of the office buildings her mother cleaned. While struggling to make ends meet, there were few opportunities for her to engage with children her age outside of school. As she grew older, she became quite shy and was often hesitant to speak to those around her.

With social and economic challenges, high school could have been difficult for Cheyenne. However, EducationMatters donors created opportunities that helped her succeed.

While at Lord Beaverbrook High School, Cheyenne enrolled in the donor-supported publishing program, where she focused on her writing skills. She enjoyed the program, and by the time she graduated high school she was already a published author. More importantly, the program allowed Cheyenne to connect with like-minded teachers and students to build a reliable social circle.

Encouraged by her high school success, Cheyenne was eager to begin university. There was only one problem; she didn’t have the financial support to cover her post-secondary tuition. EducationMatters donors stepped in again, as Cheyenne was the recipient of several awards created by individuals and businesses in Calgary.

While Cheyenne’s circumstances were difficult, the challenges she faced in her education are not unique. The needs of students in our city continue to evolve, and since 2003, donors have responded to these needs by creating incredible opportunities for students from all walks of life.

In the past 15 years:

• Donors have provided over $1.2 million to convert libraries in 43 Calgary Board of Education (CBE) schools into Learning Commons; modern learning spaces that encourage collaboration, critical thinking, and experiential learning.
• Similarly, donors have contributed over $300,000 to create maker spaces in 23 CBE schools. Maker spaces allow learners to imagine and create physical projects. Students are encouraged to become innovators and problem solvers as they work on science, technology, and math skills.

These are just two examples, chosen from many, of the opportunities that donors have created for students in the CBE since 2003.

There is plenty to celebrate in our 15-year history. To highlight the opportunities that have been made possible, and the opportunities that exist going forward, we’ll be sharing 15 stories in 2018 to profile some of the amazing schools, teachers, projects, students, and donors we’ve had the pleasure of working alongside.

We hope you’ll stay tuned as we release, and revisit, some inspirational stories over this year.

We look forward to the next 15 years of working with you, to enhance educational opportunities for students in Calgary.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it! Please get in touch!