The Calgary Catholic School District received almost $150,000 in grants from the Calgary Catholic Education Foundation (CCEF) on Monday, which will be used towards “urgent needs” across the district.
According to a Wednesday news release, the money will be allocated to 46 schools across the CCSD to address student well-being, classroom technology and faith development.
This includes building sensory rooms focused on student emotional regulation, investments into interactive LOFT boards and funding religious retreats and programs. The funding will also provide students with opportunities to participate in the Campus Calgary/Open Minds program, which aims to provide community-based learning to students.
“It’s so important for us as a Catholic community to support the wellness of the students, to ensure that they are getting a fully rounded education which is provided by the school district, and we just want to give that extra support and provide that equity and fundraising to the students and the schools,” Janet Lymer, CCEF’s executive director, told LiveWire Calgary on Thursday.
“It’s really important for us to bring our Catholic community together so that we’re we’re linking the greater Catholic community and the Calgary diocese for both urban and rural areas … We’re reminding them of the beauty of our Catholic education as well as its longevity.”
Lymer said the foundation also supports technology investments to prepare students for a changing economy and job market. Previously, schools that needed extra money for things like Chromebooks, LOFT boards and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) products have been awarded funding by the CCEF.
“We don’t even know what those jobs look like. We can’t go back to a mentality of learning with paper and pen and getting along fine. Technology today demands that students are prepared for tomorrow and those education dollars that are provided by the Alberta government don’t quite stretch enough,” she said.
Kevin Warriner, area director for northeast Calgary schools for the CCSD, said he is grateful for the funding and the CCEF’s mission to improve student well-being in Catholic schools across the city.
“This money improves access to learning, promotes equity, and it removes really barriers for Calgary Catholic students right across the district in all 118 schools,” he told LWC.
Warriner said schools will submit grant requests for various initiatives focused on technology, faith development and student well-being to the CCEF every year. These requests are getting more and more creative and innovative to increase learning opportunities for students. The requests are also increasingly focused on mental health and community-based learning, he added.
“Students might not remember the lesson on factoring polynomials, but they might remember a trip to the zoo where they experience learning from zoologists and people who work there,” he said.
Lymer and Warriner said the foundation and the school district will continue to work collaboratively to support student well-being. The grant was made possible through fundraising efforts and events, as well as community donations.
Parents are also encouraged to volunteer their time if they’re able, they said.
“We’re a resource for the parents who may not know how to be involved and how to be part of a school community,” Lymer said.
“Any school community across the board, has a need for fundraising of some sort … We’re able to to support them and help them in that way. I consider ourselves a really good resource, especially if you’re a new parent and you’re not sure where to turn to or even how to undertake any type of support towards your school, because parent councils are integral, but so are parents in societies, and we’re there to support them all.”
Warriner said schools will often incorporate CCEF messaging in newsletters, emails and other forms of communication.
“When we talk about almost $150,000 in support, that is support from a lot of people that contribute to the CCEF so parents should know this is an incredibly important work in our schools, providing unique opportunities for our students to learn,” he said.
“If parents have the opportunity to contribute to any of the fundraisers, we highly encourage them to do it.”
