Our Story

Education Bank began in 2015 as Parents Engaged in Education, a charity founded by Theresa Pastore to help families become stronger partners in their children’s learning.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization responded to growing educational inequities by providing Learn at Home Kits, devices, and learning supports to families who needed them most. That work grew into Canada’s first Education Bank in 2021.

Today, Education Bank continues to support children, youth, and families in underserved communities through educational resources, STEM/Robotics, career preparation, and skill-building programs that help young people build confidence and step into their future.

Education Bank began in 2015 as Parents Engaged in Education, a charity founded by Theresa Pastore to help families become stronger partners in their children’s learning.

Join Our Mission

Join Our Mission

Meet Our Founder

Theresa Pastore knows firsthand how education, mentorship, and opportunity can change the direction of a life.

Raised in a low-income family where school was not always seen as a priority, Theresa left school in Grade 11 and began working full-time at seventeen. With the encouragement of a mentor who saw her potential, she continued her education while working and built a successful career in the insurance industry.

When her own children entered school, Theresa began volunteering in classrooms and school councils. She saw how much a child’s confidence and sense of possibility could change when parents, caregivers, and communities were actively involved in their education. That experience became the foundation for her work and, eventually, the creation of Parents Engaged in Education.

Today, through Education Bank, Theresa continues that mission: reducing barriers, raising up youth, and helping break the cycle of generational poverty through education, engagement, and community support.

Who We Serve

The Education Bank supports equity-deserving children and youth, ages 4 to 18, who reside in Toronto Community Housing communities and the Greater Toronto area. We provide free school supplies and programs focused on STEM/Robotics and Career Preparation to help underserved youth access learning opportunities and build future-ready skills.

It is built on the belief that you cannot just give a child a book, and not the support to improve their reading and literacy skills. At The Education Bank, our kids can participate in learning and creative programs that let them increase their learning as well as have an outlet to explore their creativity.  

Education Bank supports equity-deserving children, youth, and families, including refugees, asylum seekers, and families residing in Toronto Community Housing communities.

We provide free educational resources and programs focused on STEM/Robotics, career preparation, and skill-building to help underserved youth access learning opportunities and build future-ready skills.

Refugees, asylum seekers, and families whose household income is less than $50,000 per annum are eligible for free services at the Education Bank. We now serve over 1600 students from the GTA!

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Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure children in lower socioeconomic communities have access to meaningful STEM learning from early childhood through adolescence. By investing early and consistently, we help unlock potential, expand opportunity, and create real, lasting pathways out of poverty.

Our Vision

A future where children from underserved communities are empowered with the skills, support, and confidence to succeed in STEM and create lasting change for themselves, their families ,and their communities.

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