Parents Engaged in Education is a charity that is focusing on providing “Learn at Home” kits for children in need. Our hope and mission is that these kits will help children in shelters, in the care of the Children’s Aid, or families dependent on our food bank system.
These kits contain curriculum workshops and related materials for individual grade levels. In addition, we are including creative materials and learning games to help improve the mental health and stress these children are living with, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
We could use your assistance! Please click here to see how you can help us provide a Learn at Home kit to a child in need.
August Update
The Learn at Home Kits project reached a milestone in August. With the support of so many partners who have donated in-kind product and financial support, we are proud to say we have now raised and put back into the community $350,000 of resources and fun activities for children in need.
This project is not just about providing kits to children, it’s about the example being set of charities coming together to support each other. Parents Engaged in Education are working towards bringing charities and non-profits who are serving similar neighbourhoods together. Combining and utilizing our combined skills and communication to better serve these communities.
Parents Engaged in Education started this collaborative approach by facilitating the distribution of large donations. We connected with other charities/agencies in order for these donations to get to children/youth as soon as possible. Encouraging this type of approach will ensure all of us that we can provide the greatest affect in the community.
We are proud to have provided Learn at Home kits to the following charities/agencies:
- East Scarborough Boys and Girls
- Native Family and Child Centre
- Weston Frontlines
- Birkdale Shelter
- TPH Shelter
- Jane and Finch Food Bank
- Somali Women’s and Children Centre
- Malvern Family Resource Centre
- Catholic Children’s Aid
- PARC
- Taibu Health Centre
- Humber River Hospital – youth mental health inpatient program
- Caribbean African Canadian Social Services (CAFCAN)
- Durham District School Board
- Grey Bruce Family Services
- St. Vincent de Paul
- TCHC
Thanks to our partnership with HP and Grand & Toy, we have distributed notebooks and/or printers to the following charities/agencies:
- Court Vision Basketball
- Crue TV
- Curant Development Agency
- First Book Canada
- Out of the Box
- Rise Poetry
- Sisters Keeper
- Indigo Love of Reading Foundation
- Malvern Family Resource Centre
- Taibu Health Centre
- East Scarborough Boys and Girls Club
- Caribbean African Canadian Social Services (CAFCAN)
- Weston Frontlines
- Senator O’Connor
- St. Boniface Church
- Native Family and Child Centre
This project does not belong to Parents Engaged in Education alone, it is our partner donors play the most integral role in allowing us to serve so many deserving families. This project would not be possible without the support of the following organizations that stepped up even as COVID-19 drastically affected their own businesses to help make a difference for children during this pandemic.
- The Rogers Foundation
- Nelson Canada
- Canadian Curriculum
- Ontario Elementary Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA)
- Toronto Secondary OECTA
- Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation
- Scholastic
- McDonald’s (Kingston and Morningside)
- Soft Tax
- Popular Books
- ACCO (Hilroy)
- First Book Canada
- Indigo Love of Reading Foundation
- Learning Advantage
- Cooperators Insurance (Spencer Block & Assoc.)
- HP
- Grand & Toy
- Home Depot (Morningside)
- Samsonite
- Government of Canada through United Way
- Staples (Ajax)
Moving Forward – The Family Service Centre/Technology Room/Education Bank
This project has highlighted the need to support students in marginalized communities on an ongoing basis. While we were happy to provide a one-time kit to support them through isolation, it is apparent that this support is needed all throughout the year. While food banks feed children’s bodies, the education bank will feed their minds and spirits.
This centre will offer learning resources in a pen and paper format that many children in low income communities are more familiar with than online equivalent. This center will also provide activities, art supplies and books to help improve their mental health and personal amenities for youth to contribute to their self-care.
The technology room will be equipped with the latest technology including laptops, printers and a 3D Printer for students to use for STEM projects or to assist in online school. It will also offer a place to do small group training for parents to help them gain skills to support their children online.
This centre will belong to those in need in Toronto and community members who utilize these services or assist in delivering these services.
Parents Engaged in Education will use this centre to continue our Learn at Home Kits project to be sure that students throughout Ontario will still have access to support through agencies in their area.
We invite you to DREAM BIG with us Because Together we can do More!!
To help make this project a reality please support us through one of the following ways:
GoFundMe – https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-cause-to-feed-the-mind-heart-and-soul
E-Transfer donations to: parentengagementgroup@gmail.com
Donate at: www.parentsengagedineducation.ca/donate
Charitable receipts will be issued for donations over $20.00.
See more of our project updates
We encourage you to learn more about our projects progress by reading some of our previous project updates.
We Need Your Help!
We are asking for companies to contribute towards the cost of these kits in order to help us make a difference for those in shelters and less fortunate across the city.
Here are some of the supplies we still need:
- Notebooks
- Pencils
- Pencil Crayons (12 box)
- Crayons
- Coloured Markers (8-12 in box)
- Pens
- Sketchbooks
- Pastels (sets or bulk that can be broken down into kits)
- Construction Paper (pads or bulk that can be taken and broken into kits)
- 8 x 10 Canvas
- Paint Sets
- Paint Brushes
- Lined Paper
Please read the letters we received from the Scarborough shelter as well as the Jane & Finch Food Bank recognizing the value of these kits to families in need.
We recognize every contribution with a charitable tax receipt and coverage throughout our social media platforms as well as in any local media coverage of the project.
We appreciate every donation because we believe if we DREAM BIG – TOGETHER WE CAN DO MORE!!!
Thank you for your consideration.
E-transfer donations can be sent to : parentengagementgroup@gmail.com
For more information please contact
Theresa Pastore
Executive Director
Parents Engaged in Education
theresa.pastore@parentsengagedineducation.ca
OUR PARTNERS
Funded in part by the Government of Canada
