The Southdale Education Fund seeks to alleviate the financial challenges of pursuing post-secondary education while living in poverty.
Each year, the Southdale Education Fund will distribute, at minimum, a $1000 bursary to a deserving student. The bursary will be awarded a student from a single-parent family, facing financial challenges and living in the Westminster community of London, Ontario.
The bursary is intended to support students in whatever way that they need – whether it be tuition, textbooks, food, or bills.
The Southdale Education Fund will be set up as an Endowment Fund through the London Community Foundation. This will allow us to establish a sustainable fund that will continue to grow and support students year after year.
What Makes the Southdale Education Fund Unique?
The reality is, many students, specifically those coming from low-income families, fall between the cracks when it comes to accessing financial support for College or University. So many scholarships and bursaries look for students with straight As, measureable community involvement and/or high achievement in extracurricular activities. And all of these things deserve to be recognized.
But what happens to the student who can’t stack up because they’re spending their time outside of school working to support themselves, their family or save money for College/University?
What happens to the student who can’t afford transportation to participate in volunteer opportunities? Or who can’t afford to participate in music programs, sports, etc.?
What about students that have to go home everyday to take care of their siblings, or those that have to attend any and all outings to provide language translation for their parents or grand-parents?
The Southdale Education seeks to address this gap. We want to support and celebrate those students who are balancing life’s challenges of living in poverty, while still planning to pursue post-secondary education. We want to shift our community’s perspective on what it means to achieve greatness while in high school.
“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”
Nelson Mandela
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
Southdale Education Fund 