Edmonton Public Schools Foundation
Posted by Vi Hughes on Aug 02, 2016
Our speaker this week was Tracy Poulin (pictured), Director of the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation. The Foundation raises funds to support full day kindergarten programs for the children who need it most. As a former inner city school principal, Tracy gave us several examples of how a full day kindergarten program can make a huge difference in the lives of these children.
About forty thousand children in Edmonton live in poverty, twenty percent of school children have English as a second language. Many of these children have chaotic, unpredictable home lives that make learning a second priority after survival for these children. Many immigrant children have learning gaps, have suffered trauma from war or crisis and have parents struggling to make a living in a new country. Children from disadvantaged homes can have a huge language gaps just due to the fact that their parents simply do not speak to them, in any language. Having a full day with a strong role model can make a large difference in their lives. The Foundation also supports smaller programs such as snack programs, music programs, scholarships for high school students, and other types of programs for children from disadvantaged homes. Helping children at an early age to get a step up makes a big difference in the cost to society later in their lives.
The Alberta government currently supports half day kindergarten programs for all children. The cost to increase this to full day ranges from about eighty thousand to one hundred thousand dollars per classroom (of up to thirty four children). The Foundations currently supports six full day programs and it’s current goal is to support fifteen full day kindergartens. They currently administer trust funds and individual foundations, some of which support the full day kindergarten program and others that have been dedicated to support specific programs. They also have many different types of fundraising events throughout the year. One hundred percent of their operating cost is covered by Edmonton Public Schools, so that one hundred percent of donations go directly to support classrooms for children. We can help by making donations of money or time and also by spreading the word to others about this very worthwhile endeavour.
Tracy Poulin