The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program and Scotiabank Announce three-year partnership to educate and empower disadvantaged youth
ScotiaRISE $600,000 commitment will enable the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program to advance accessibility and inclusion in schools and communities across Canada
TRADITIONAL TERRITORY OF THE XʷMƏΘKWƏY ̓ƏM (MUSQUEAM) FIRST NATION / RICHMOND, BC, Jan. 30, 2023 /CNW/ - The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program is pleased to announce a renewed three-year partnership with ScotiaRISE, Scotiabank's 10-year $500 million initiative to promote economic resilience among disadvantaged groups. The ScotiaRISE investment will enable the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program to provide educators with the tools and resources necessary to improve accessibility and inclusion in schools and communities across Canada and to advance its work helping disadvantaged youth increase their opportunities for success in high school and beyond.
"We are honoured and incredibly grateful to have Scotiabank renew their support of our school program" said Doramy Ehling, CEO, Rick Hansen Foundation "We recognize that through education we have the power to build a more inclusive and accessible society. This partnership will continue to inspire young hearts and minds and provide resources to teach youth the benefits of diversity, cooperation, and consideration of others. Our education work is instrumental in breaking down both attitudinal and physical barriers and continues to put a spotlight on allyship."
Inspired by Rick Hansen's belief in the power of youth to change the world, the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program provides educators and students from Kindergarten to grade 12 with a comprehensive set of no charge lessons and activities in English and French designed to increase disability awareness, accessibility, and inclusion through an online resource library. In addition, Ambassador presentations and the annual Difference Maker of the Year Awards aim to raise awareness and change attitudes about accessibility and allyship while empowering young people to act on issues that matter to them.
"Supporting inclusive and accessible schools is crucial to ensuring that students can succeed in education and perform at their full potential," said Maria Saros, Vice President & Global Head, Social Impact at Scotiabank. "Through ScotiaRISE, we are proud to support the Rick Hansen Foundation to foster a culture of allyship both inside and outside the classroom."
Outcomes of the program, which has been running for almost 22 years, have been significant with improvements in student attitudes towards, and perceptions of, people with disabilities, and resulting initiatives to tangibly improve inclusion in classrooms, schools, and communities across the country.
Adds Ehling, "without the generous support of organizations like Scotiabank, we wouldn't be able to offer these valuable resources and presentations to schools and communities across Canada. The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program provides youth with an opportunity to learn from these social and emotional teachings to ensure their peers and all members of society feel valued and have a sense of belonging."
For those interested in finding out more about the school program and educational resources please visit www.RickHansen.com/schools.
The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) was established in 1988, following the completion of Rick Hansen's Man In Motion World Tour. For nearly 30 years, RHF has worked to raise awareness, change attitudes, and remove barriers for people with disabilities. Visit www.rickhansen.com to learn more.
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 Rick Hansen Foundation
RHF Media Contact: Cynnamon Schreinert, HartleyPR, 604-802-2733, [email protected]; Scotiabank Media Contact: Amarra Mohamed, 647-534-1853, [email protected]
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