Education
Canada’s Future Lies With Our Youth: Ensuring Access to Post-Secondary Education
Jul 23, 2024
Editorial by Nimmi Kanji, Executive Director, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation® (as appeared in
TheFutureEconomy.ca
on July 11, 2024).William Shakespeare once described our youth as “the voice of our future, the heralds of change, and the architects of tomorrow.” Those words are as true today as they were when first written. Perhaps even more so.
Being young signifies more than just age; it embodies a spirit of resilience, growth, innovation and the relentless pursuit of a better future. In a world marked by escalating disparities and complex crises like the climate crisis, food and housing insecurity, and political conflict, we need the vision and energy of our youngest generations more than ever. Our communities, our country, and the world require that they have the skills and education to build and implement effective solutions.
Let’s Stand Up for Our Youth on World Youth Skills Day
On World Youth Skills Day, we should rightly celebrate the visions and voices of our youth, recognizing them as the torchbearers of positive change and the champions of a brighter tomorrow. However, for too many, the journey to get the skills and education they need to succeed is fraught with barriers. Systemic inequalities and financial constraints often hinder the path to success for a significant portion of our youth. This not only jeopardizes their futures but also undermines the collective progress of our communities, our country and society as a whole.
Recent reports state that
75% of students
find it very hard to afford post-secondary education, and nearly one in three students
have considered withdrawing from their studies due to financial difficulty.As the Executive Director of TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, I believe no one should be left behind because of systemic or financial barriers they may face. At the Foundation, we are committed to enabling youth facing these roadblocks to pursue higher education, unlocking more opportunities to help them reach their full potential — and, ultimately, make a positive social impact in their communities. Last year, we took our commitment one step further with the launch of the TELUS Student Bursary – Canada’s largest national bursary fund, helping hundreds of students each year who are committed to making a difference in their community afford post-secondary education in order to pursue a university degree or a college diploma.
We believe that every youth, regardless of their circumstance, deserves the opportunity to access higher education. In fact, over 40% of our bursary recipients are the first in their families to attend a post-secondary institution in Canada. The bursary not only provides today’s youth with access but also helps break barriers experienced across generations and drives positive change.
Meet Clementine, One of the First TELUS Student Bursary Recipients
Clementine, a fourth-year Carleton University student pursuing a double major in human rights and social justice and women and gender studies, is one of over 400 students who received a 2023 TELUS Student Bursary.
“As someone who grew up in the foster care system, it’s been really hard to pursue my dream of going to university,” says Clementine. “I’ve learned—and seen through my own experience—that only eight out of every 1,000 Canadian kids in foster care will graduate with any kind of post-secondary degree. I truly believe that with the support from TELUS and the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, I will not only have the resources to graduate but also be able to improve those odds for other kids in the future as I hope to work on redeveloping the child welfare system.”
At our inaugural TELUS Friendly Future Foundation Gala in June, Clementine shared her experience and commented on the importance and impact of the bursary program: “Youth, like seeds, need adequate support to bloom into who and what they’re meant to be.” Access to post-secondary education is a critical factor in enabling youth to grow and thrive well into the future.
In 2023, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation awarded $2 million worth of bursaries to 400+ students attending post-secondary institutions across Canada, including through partners like Indspire, a national Indigenous registered charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. In addition to providing financial support for their education, the TELUS Student Bursary seeks to help alleviate some of the additional challenges students face, such as access to connectivity services and career opportunities. Bursary recipients have access to free mental health support, mobility and internet plans through TELUS’ Mobility for Good and Internet for Good programs, as well as mentoring, networking, and other career development opportunities throughout their schooling and post-graduation, helping enable their ongoing personal and professional success.
How to Help Changemakers Pursue Their Dreams
We can’t do this alone. At TELUS, we believe that good business and doing good go hand-in-hand and that we have a responsibility to leverage our influence, technology, and resources to make the world a better place. We need leaders, businesses, government, and nonprofits to join us in supporting our youth. Our success is a direct reflection of the incredible leadership and generosity of leaders who, like us, feel we have a responsibility to step up and help make the future friendly for generations to come. We invite corporate Canada and government officials who share our values and who are passionate about supporting the livelihood of our country’s future leaders to
contact us
and start a conversation around how we can partner for impact.
The TELUS Student Bursary is not just a financial aid program; it is a testament to our commitment to ensuring that all young people have the opportunity to thrive. By focusing on youth experiencing financial need and those who are dedicated to making a positive impact in their communities, we are investing in a generation of changemakers and leaders who will drive progress and innovation in the years to come.
Moreover, Canada needs more people with lived experience in decision-making roles to see real, systemic change as it relates to pressing social issues. Often, a prerequisite for these roles is post-secondary education. By providing access to higher education, we are not only empowering individuals but also ensuring that those who have firsthand experience with the challenges we face are at the table, shaping policies and solutions that are informed by real-world insights.
The stakes are high, and the consequences of neglecting youth experiencing financial barriers to pursuing post-secondary education are higher. We need to see change. By investing in the education and empowerment of our youth, we are not only securing a brighter future for them but also fostering a more prosperous and inclusive society for all. Canadians who want to join us in empowering young changemakers to pursue post-secondary education, ultimately helping further shape a nation that we’re all proud of, are invited to
donate now
to our Foundation.At the Foundation, we believe that every young person deserves the chance to realize their dreams and contribute meaningfully to the world. Through initiatives like the TELUS Student Bursary, we are paving the way for a future where all young individuals have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and shape a better tomorrow for generations to come.
