The Ontario Campaign for Toonies for Tuition

This school year, the OCSTA is launching the Ontario Campaign for Toonies for Tuition, in support of the CCSTA’s yearly campaign to help ensure children and youth across Canada can access Catholic education in their hometown.

Beverley Eckensweiler, OCSTA President, said the idea to provide greater support for Toonies for Tuition came after learning that if every student in a fully funded Catholic school donated a toonie, the funds raised would exceed the amount requested every year.

“We’re so blessed here in Ontario,” said Mrs. Eckensweiler. “What a great opportunity for our students to be able to support other students who don’t have the blessings they have with Catholic education funding.”

While the OCSTA is helping promote the Toonies for Tuition campaign, they are leaving it up to individual school boards to decide on the best way to raise funds. That allows each board to organize the campaign that works best for their community. Some boards are already getting started.

 “A lot of the trustees are jumping right in,” said Mrs. Eckensweiler. “Others are still working towards getting their campaigns going. So, it’s a very exciting time.”

It’s also about more than just raising money. It’s about spreading the word, not only about how lucky Ontarians are to have fully funded Catholic education, but also that there is a way to share the blessing with others. Mrs. Eckensweiler hopes that the OCSTA’s promotion of Toonies for Tuition will allow the fund to help more families than ever before.

“What I would really like to see, depending on the amount of funds we can raise, is for Toonies for Tuition to be able to support every family that asks for assistance,” she said. “As well as possibly starting a perpetual fund to support even more families in the future.”