Scotiabank and Teach For Canada announce a $750,000 community partnership to support students in northern First Nation communities

Program to recruit, prepare and support teachers and local educators and improve educational outcomes for over 6,000 students

TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, Scotiabank announced a $750,000 community investment in Teach For Canada to help improve the high school learning experience for Indigenous students in remote First Nations communities. Teach For Canada is a national organization that partners with First Nations to recruit, prepare, and support committed, certified teachers to succeed—and stay—in the North.

Compared to the national average of 88%, only 48% of First Nations youth living on reserve have a high school diploma. A combination of low teacher supply and high turnover rates have contributed to a statistical education gap between First Nations and non-First Nations communities. However, statistics show that targeted educational investments in Indigenous schools result in increased high school graduation rates, with more students completing post-secondary education and professional designations.

Scotiabank's community investment will enable Teach For Canada to:

• Train 150 certified teachers preparing to relocate to northern First Nations through their two-week Summer Enrichment Program;
• Launch and grow a professional development program for over 140 locally based educators, to support sustainable First Nations schools that are led and staffed by local community members;
• Equip 6,000 Indigenous students in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan with a foundation for success in a learning environment that embodies the cultural and linguistic teachings of their homes and communities;
• Expand its programming reach into 12 new First Nations communities across Manitoba and Alberta, expanding its programming reach and improving education access and learning outcomes for Indigenous students.

"Teach For Canada's important programming supports the recruitment and training of teachers committed to living and teaching in remote communities," said Meigan Terry, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability, Social Impact and Communications Officer at Scotiabank. "We're proud of this signature ScotiaRISE partnership, which will help support more Indigenous students in remote communities and provide them with the skills to succeed in higher education and beyond."

"Teach For Canada is thrilled to have Scotiabank's support as we expand our reach to partner with First Nations across the country. Education is paramount to the successful futures of Indigenous peoples and communities. The value of funding partners who trust in the importance of our work cannot be understated," said Ken Sanderson, Executive Director at Teach For Canada.

Scotiabank's community partnership with Teach For Canada is a signature program within ScotiaRISE, the Bank's 10-year $500 million initiative to promote economic resilience among disadvantaged groups. Increasing high school graduation and post-secondary participation rates is one focus area within the initiative. To improve education and employment outcomes for youth across its footprint, Scotiabank has also partnered with organizations including YMCA's Alternative Suspension Program, Pathways to Education, Connected North, the Rick Hansen Foundation and Outside Looking In.

Learn more about ScotiaRISE.

Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples Across Canada

Scotiabank honours the lost lives of Indigenous children and Survivors of the residential school system. As part of our ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the history of Canada's residential schools, we support initiatives year round that provide education about the intergenerational trauma they caused. Scotiabank and Teach For Canada recognize the journey towards reconciliation and are committed to respecting Indigenous Peoples' rights and recognizing the path towards self determination for Indigenous Peoples. We acknowledge and honour that from coast to coast, we are all standing on the traditional territory of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People.

About Teach For Canada

Teach For Canada recruits, prepares, and supports committed educators to help First Nations students succeed. Our community-led programming aims to support First Nations sustainability and ensure that all children have access to high-quality education in their community. 

Teach For Canada is partnered with 23 First Nations in Ontario and Manitoba. We are expanding our reach to establish new partnerships in Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

For more information, please visit teachforcanada.ca and follow us at @teachforcanada.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of over 90,000 employees and assets of over $1.3 trillion (as at October 31, 2022), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @Scotiabank.

SOURCE Scotiabank

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