MONTREAL, Feb. 14, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - As part of the 2014 Hooked on School Days, The YMCAs of Québec and Pathways to Education are proud to announce the official launch of their Pointe-Saint-Charles site. The Pathways to Education program was created by Toronto's Regent Park community in 2001 and now operates in 14 other communities across Canada. While Canada's average high school dropout rates range between 25 and 30 per cent, those rates can easily double in low-income communities. Thousands of youths in these communities have the potential to succeed in school but are unable to overcome the barriers to education that are created by poverty. Pathways to Education works closely with communities and school boards to provide after-school tutoring, mentoring, individual support and financial assistance to break down these barriers and to build a graduation nation.
The YMCAs of Québec and Pathways to Education have teamed up for the first time to open a new program centre in Pointe-Saint-Charles. This is yet another opportunity for The YMCAs of Québec to put into practice its commitment to help young people excel at school and overcome the obstacles to their success. "With more than one in four youths reaching the age of 20 without a diploma, school retention remains a serious issue in Québec. We're proud to say that this community-oriented program will help us build relationships with many local groups to provide ongoing support to youth throughout their academic careers," said Stéphane Vaillancourt, President and CEO of The YMCAs of Québec.
In recent years, the program's results have continued to far exceed early hopes to reduce the dropout rate across Canada. In fact, high school graduation rates have more than doubled and the number of students going on to post-secondary education has increased by 300 per cent. "We are pleased to welcome Pointe-Saint-Charles and The YMCAs of Quebec to our Pathways family. We truly believe that by bringing together the strengths of all partners, we can succeed in helping students from this community reach their full potential," said Pierre Côté, President and Executive Director of Pathways to Education Québec.
"Pathways to Education is a proven program, illustrated by the recent launch of the centre in Shawinigan, Québec, which has shown that this is one of the most efficient initiatives to keep kids in school," concluded Rio Tinto Alcan's Chief Executive Officer, Jacynthe Côté. The Pointe-Saint-Charles Pathways to Education is the third centre in Québec supported by Rio Tinto Alcan.
More than thirty guests and collaborators attended the program's launch, which was held on February 14 at 2532 Centre Street.
About The YMCAs of Québec
The first YMCA in North America was founded in Montréal in November 1851. The YMCAs of Québec is a charitable organization that builds stronger communities by providing opportunities for everyone to lead fulfilling, active, healthy and engaged lives. Its ten YMCA centres, International Language School, Ski School, Residence, YMCA Camp Kanawana and its 43 service points across the province are visited each year by more than 130,000 people. The YMCAs of Québec is part of the Canadian network of 51 YMCA associations. For more information, please visit www.ymcaquebec.org, our Facebook (facebook.com/ymcaquebec) or Twitter (twitter.com/YMCAQuebec) pages.
About Pathways to Education Canada
Pathways to Education Canada is a charitable organization that helps youth in low-income communities graduate high school and successfully transition into post-secondary education or training. Pathways addresses systemic barriers to education by providing leadership, expertise and a community-based program proven to lower dropout rates. Founded in 2001, Pathways operates in 14 communities across Canada, with programs in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Manitoba. On October 31, 2013 Pathways Canada was recognized globally by the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha, Qatar with a 2013 WISE Award for its innovative work in finding real world solutions to pressing educational and societal challenges. To date, Pathways is the only Canadian organization to receive this prestigious international honour. For more information, please visit our web site www.pathwaystoeducation.ca, and our Facebook page www.facebook.com/pathwaystoeducationcanada.
SOURCE: YMCA
Charles Durivage/Camille Lemay
Morin Public Relations
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