To support Calgary Board of Education (CBE) students, EducationMatters has announced a $260,000 investment from Suncor through its Energizing Youth initiative.
Every dollar of the investment will be put to good use, with the donation going towards supporting student access to essential supplies like backpacks and binders to future-ready career skills, according to a CBE-issued press release.
Funding will go towards dual credit and exploratory programs and courses for high school students facing financial barriers, provincial and national skills competitions for CBE students representing the City of Calgary in 2026 and the 2025 and 2026 Backpack & Essentials Campaign, providing equity deserving students from K-12 with a new backpack filled with school supplies that supports learning at school and at home.
“Students across our system will have greater access to explore future career and education pathways, made possible through the generosity of Suncor’s Energizing Youth initiative,” said Joanne Pitman, Chief Superintendent, CBE, in a statement.
“In partnership with EducationMatters, this support will remove barriers and expand opportunities for student success.”
With increased funding for dual credit and exploratory programs, the CBE hopes more students will get the chance to preview post-secondary.
While in Exploratory programs, high school students get a chance at hands-on learning with certified professionals in areas like the trades, before committing to a long-term plan or post-secondary program, according to Ken Weipert, CBE Education Director.
“We also have dual credit programming that’s offered in partnership with one of our post-secondary partners. It gives kids a chance to try a post-secondary course for high school credit, and they get credit for a post-secondary program while they’re still in high school,” he said.
“It’s a good way to transition into the world of post-secondary before they have to commit full-time.”
Weipert said that the CBE currently offers over 35 dual-credit programs and 11 exploratory programs.
Other parts of the funding will be allocated to barrier removal.
“This will allow us to help our kids participate in those (dual credit and exploratory) programs. The types of support ranges, it can be personal protective equipment that they need to go to a job site or a work site or a training facility, like steel-toed boots or some tools, or they need transportation to and from the work site,” Weipert said.
For the 2025 and 2026 school years, funding dollars will also be put towards fully stocked backpacks for students who need them most. Backpack supplies depend on the student’s age and grade, with no set amount of bags per grade, Weipert said.
Weipert and his team will work with individual schools and students to ensure the students get the support they need to access those programs, whether through financial, equipment, or other support.
