After-school programs receive
$1.7 million boost from RBC
RBC Olympian Perdita Felicien entertains children at the Christie-Ossington
Neighbourhood Centre in Toronto, Ontario, for the launch of the 2004/2005
RBC After-School Grants Program.
TORONTO, October 11, 2004 - RBC Financial Group is building on its commitment
to Canada's kids by providing $1.7 million in funding for 57 of Canada's top after-school
programs for the 2004-2005 school year. The recipients represent a diverse range of
community-based organizations from across Canada, and were chosen by panels of local
citizens.
To be selected for a grant, after-school programs must offer structured and supervised
activities for children between the ages of six and 17. The programs must also focus on
what RBC calls the "three Ss" -- safety, social skills and self-esteem. RBC's grants
are used to provide a wide-range of activities including computer instruction, sports, literacy
tutoring, music and art lessons, nutrition guidance, and homework-help.
"We believe the best after-school programs should complement the formal education that
children receive in the classroom," said Ann Louise Vehovec, senior vice-president for
RBC Financial Group. "When kids have a chance to participate in activities outside the
classroom in a structured and safe environment, there can be a marked improvement in their
self esteem, and that's a gift that lasts forever."
Each after-school program will receive between $15,000 and $40,000 from RBC. Fifteen are
first-time grant recipients, while the remainder had received grants in previous years.
RBC has been funding after-school programs since 1999, helping almost 5,000 children with
102 grants totalling $8.8 million in that time. This funding is an ongoing RBC commitment to
children and education across Canada. Over a third of the annual budget of the RBC Foundation
is devoted to education--almost $9 million in 2003, with a further $127 million invested in
employee training and career development.
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