Fun Fact: The Prince Albert Catholic School Division was the sole Catholic school board in Canada that donated more than $2 per student to the Toonies for Tuition campaign in 2015-16. Raising an average of $2.47 per student, the Saskatchewan-based school board donated more than $7,000 to the campaign.
With that, the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario earned top donation marks, as they raised just over $10,500 for the Toonies initiative.
When you look at the per pupil rate, Prince Albert comes out on top, earning them the coveted Toonies for Tuition trophy for another year running.
Why is this important?
Because it demonstrates the Catholic school community’s commitment to ensuring that as many students as possible can attend Catholic school here in Canada.
Not all Catholic schools receive full provincial funding, which means families are left to pay for the tuition fees associated with attending a Catholic school. The Toonies for Tuition campaign helps offset those costs by allowing the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association to provide funding to families who could use the financial support.
Dispersed through the CCSTA Endowment Fund, the funds are provided based on applications submitted by school principals on a family’s behalf. Last year alone, CCSTA provided $45,000 to families across Canada.
“We’re really grateful to the schools that host Toonies for Tuition fundraisers,” says CCSTA Executive Director Julian Hanlon. “These fundraisers are literally putting dollars in deserving families’ pockets to allow their children to attend a Catholic school. What a showcase of the Catholic spirit.”
Hosting a Toonies Fundraiser
Schools that have hosted Toonies fundraisers in the past have made it simple. Whether it’s a dress-down day, a hat day or a dance fundraiser, the schools have been successful in getting student support for the cause. Just last year, St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Cornwall, Ontario hosted a dress-down day for the regularly uniformed student body. They raised more than $1,000.
It was a win-win for everyone.
“Being that we are a uniform school, our students have the opportunity to pay two dollars each to dress down in order to raise money and awareness for Catholic students across our country who are in need of aid to assist paying tuition to attend their local Catholic schools,” says school’s chaplaincy leader, Gordie Van Putten. “By participating in this event, our students will exemplify and live out the Catholic Graduate Expectations by being a collaborative contributor, a responsible citizen and also a caring family member to those sisters and brothers in our faith communities across the country.”
As the school year approaches and plans begin to occur in the school community, CCSTA encourages schools to put a Toonies for Tuition fundraiser in their social calendars.
“These fundraisers are the core element to our Endowment Fund,” says Hanlon. “We are reaching out to our school leaders to take on this initiative, and demonstrate just how important it is to attend Catholic school here in Canada.”
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