Dropping out affects us all.
Dropping out of high school can limit a young person’s potential for the rest of their lives, and it costs Canada billions in lost tax revenue, social assistance, and health care. More than 300,000 young people currently live in low-income communities across Canada, where students often face barriers to their educational success. These challenges are beyond their control and can make it harder for them to finish high school.
The Barriers
Financial
When students in low-income communities face financial instability, their whole lives are affected. Financial stress can affect plans for the short, medium, and long term. To help students stay focused on school, Pathways offers targeted financial support, such as bus fare, food support, post-secondary scholarships, and more.
“If I didn’t have access to these supports [scholarships and financial aid], I would have felt very lost. I am forever thankful to my support worker for his guidance and encouragement.”
–Vaksan, Pathways Scarborough Village alum
Academic
After-school tutoring is often unaffordable for families in low-income communities, as is the necessary technology to complete homework and assignments, and the language lessons newcomer youth need to simply keep up with schoolwork. But that shouldn’t make high school graduation out of reach. Pathways’ academic supports include free weekly tutoring, summer language lessons, loaner technology, and more.
“My support worker took the time walk me through any books I was reading or assignments I was working on. We’d take turns reading pages, and if there was a word I didn’t understand, they would explain the meaning in an easier way.”
–Avin, Pathways Saint John alum
Access to one-on-one supports
Some students living in low-income communities don’t have access to post-secondary education or career planning advice through their families. That’s why Pathways offers students access to one-on-one supports that lead to strong relationships with mentors and role models in their community.
“Every time we meet a youth, from the very beginning of the program, we check in around school. And then, we’ll talk about health, relationships, hopes and dreams. If you have the relationships, the rest falls into place.”
–Tyler, Pathways Vancouver staff
Social
Starting high school can be overwhelming, especially when it’s in a new language or culture. These challenges can prevent youth from developing skills that they will need later on. With social programming like field trips and career fairs, Pathways ensures students have access to opportunities to develop competencies like time management, leadership, communication, and more.
“I had the opportunity to speak with people outside of my immediate friend group and got to build socializing skills. I was not someone who spoke a lot in school, so outside of school was my opportunity to speak to other people—whether it was with the support workers or someone my age.”
–Minaz, Pathways Scarborough Village alum
Our Program
Creating Pathways
to Success
The award-winning Pathways to Education Program provides the supports youth need to overcome the barriers they face and graduate from high school. These supports include:
Tailored student plans
Tutoring
Social support
Mentoring
Financial support
Planning for life after school
Our future depends on their education.
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Take Action
Help #BuildPathways to success for all youth.
Together, we can make Canada a country where all youth have an equal opportunity to graduate from high school and build the foundation for their future success.